Remote Sensing and GIS tools in Landscape Archaeology: All about data

 This is a beginner's guide to use remote sensing (RS) and GIS for Landscape Archaeology.

The aim is to discuss some of the data, tools and study materials that one can use. 

So Lets Begin!!

For example. You have decided to work on a site Lets call this site X.

What kind of data is available about X?  Of course  one will read all the Archaeological report,  Gazetteer, Books, research articles and newspaper articles. 

You can also; use satellite data which are free to download from the following websites:

Google Earth: https://www.google.com/intl/en_in/earth/

USGS Earth Explorer: https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/

Bhuvan: https://bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in/bhuvan_links.php#

Natural Earth: https://www.naturalearthdata.com/

How to download Declassified CORONA data from USGS?

What is CORONA data?

The images from Corona are a useful tool to study landscape as it gives a representation of the study area from the 1960s and 1970s, that is, before the time mechanized means were used for changing land cover. Thus tracing out archaeological features in Corona data is easier when compared to recent satellite data due to the subsequent land cover change. The Corona program was conceptualized by the United States of America in 1958. After World War II, both USA and USSR entered a stage which is commonly known as the Space race. The Corona program was thus conceived by the USA for military surveillance. These images from Corona are high-resolution images (up to 3m) covering large areas and captured by panchromatic cameras (Dashora 2007). The images were captured

from 1960 to 1972 and can be used for any application including archaeological exploration. The

data from CORONA declassified and made public in three parts (Declass-1 in 1995, Declass-2 in 2002 and Declass-3 in 2013), which can now be accessed from Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) website. 

Register, login and download data.

1. link to USGS

https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/

2. Make an account and sign in.

3. Click on search criteria tab.

• One can search for a place by typing the Name. For example.: New Delhi India.
• Now Click on Data Sets.
• Goto Declassified data.
• All the data pertaining to the study area will be displayed.
• You have to choose the best image which is free.
• and click download.

Next blog will be about georeferencing CORONA data