Wouter Gheyle

Three-dimensional recording of archaeological remains in the Altai Mountains

In the course of their research campaign in Siberia, Ghent University archaeologists have developed a simple and cost effective method for the rapid 3D imaging of rock art, standing stelae and surface monuments. Their procedure will undoubtedly have a big role to play in archaeological research in advance of the oil pipeline expected soon.

Evaluating CORONA: a case study in the Altai Republic (South Siberia)

Satellite photographs, such as the CORONA series, are proving valuable instruments of archaeological reconnaissance, especially for landscapes that are relatively unknown or unprotected. Moreover, satellite imagery can be used for detailed mapping of remote areas, so that a topographic map or Digital Elevation Model can form the background for the archaeological information. However, images seen on the photographs may not be immediately recognisable as sites, and sites on the ground may escape detection from a satellite. In a current project in south Siberia the authors test the visibility of the one against the other.

Integrating Archaeology and Landscape Analysis for the Cultural Heritage Management of a World War I Militarised Landscape: The German Field Defences in Antwerp

Abstract The approaching centenary of the start of World War I and the booming cultural tourism at the former Western Front in Belgium, combined with recent urbanisation and agricultural intensification processes, have promoted the demand for a more effective and sustainable heritage management. In addition, there is need for interdisciplinary research on how war and socio-natural landscapes reciprocally reproduce each other in time and space. The focus of this paper is a WWI defence system in the Province of Antwerp (Belgium), some 100 km to the east of the actual Western frontline. Research included the inventory and evaluation of the remaining above-ground relics of military features in a landscape archaeological perspective, based on WWI aerial photographs, historical maps and fieldwork. Landscape types and dynamics were identified from 1918 to 2011, based on a time series of aerial photos and maps, complemented with fieldwork. Second, an overall vision was formulated for sustainable heritage management of the militarised landscape. Both vision and practical recommendations are immediately useful for policy makers and stakeholders.

A Line Through the Sacred Lands of the Altai Mountains: Perspectives on the Altai Pipeline Project

Abstract In 2006 preliminary plans were made public showing that Gazprom intended to construct a pipeline through the Altai republic (Russia, south-west Siberia). Unfortunately, there was almost no attention to integrating the conservation of cultural heritage (both archaeological and landscape) into the planning of the pipeline, though the Altai is well-known for its rich cultural heritage. Hitherto, no assessment has been made of the potential impact of the project, nor did Gazprom release detailed information about the exact course of the route. The present article aims to illustrate the potential impact of the pipeline based on a detailed study of a small segment of the route, using remote sensing images and data gathered during fieldwork. This assessment underlines the need for a well-thought-out strategy, which is required if sustainable integration of heritage conservation into the construction plan is to be realized. If such a balance is not found, thousands of archaeological monuments could disappear, which would result in a huge cultural and scientific loss. As a possible solution, an integrative strategy founded on a desk-based study of remote sensing images and a well-directed field survey is suggested.

Scan Problems in Digital CORONA Satellite Images from USGS Archives

The scientific value and relevance of declassified CORONA satellite images has been affirmed by numerous research projects and publications. From 1996 on, duplicates of the CORONA film were available in all standard analog photographic products, including film negatives and photo prints. Since September 2004, the analog imagery is no longer available and has been replaced by digital images produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (EROS) Scanning Department. This paper points out a heretofore undetected and not negligible problem with the digital imagery. A calibration error in the Leica DSW700 photogrammetric scanner has created gaps between scan tiles. We analyzed the effects these errors have on resulting DSMs and checked the extent of the scanning problem. Part of the USGS archive, i.e. images ordered and scanned between September 2004 and November-December 2007, have comparable scan errors but are nevertheless archived and available for future orders.

The Ypres Salient 1914–1918: Historical Aerial Photography and the Landscape of War

Abstract As the centenary commemorations of the Battle of Passchendaele approach, this article is a timely demonstration of how archaeology can provide new insights into the landscape of the Western Front. Assessment of over 9000 aerial photographs taken during the First World War, integrated with other approaches to landscape archaeology, offers a new perspective on the shifting nature of the historic struggle around the town of Ypres in Belgium. The results not only illustrate the changing face of the landscape over that four-year period, but also highlight the potential of aerial photographic records to illuminate hitherto overlooked aspects of landscape heritage.

Thermal remote sensing imagery in permafrost studies.

Mountain permafrost modelling in remote, continental mountain ranges (e.g. Russian Altai Mountains) holds several difficulties due to the limitations these environments pose. The lack of meteorological input data and impossibilities for BTS-validations (Bottom Temperatures of winter Snow cover) makes conventional modelling strategies inapplicable. Statistical methods, however, based on correlation coefficients between different parameters, offers good alternative but requires lots of observations to be significant. As a solution, spatially covering land surface temperature (LST) values might be used as a proxy replacing the interpolated air and near ground surface temperatures. This article proposes 2 strategies, one statistical and one adapted TTOP (temperature at the top of permafrost), based on remote sensing data and ground measurements. Although these methods seem promising, they require a detailed understanding of the relation between LST and the air and near ground surface temperature. Therefore, before installing field equipment, we compared filtered MODIS LST time-series with corresponding ground temperature measurements recorded by Sergei Marchenko (Geophysical institute of Alaska, Fairbanks) in the Ulandryk Valley. Despite the cloudy conditions of this test site, a good correlation is showed between both time-series.

Early Iron Age burial mounds in the Altay Mountains: from survey to analysis

An on-going Altay Mountains Survey Project at Ghent University in Belgium studies the archaeological landscape of the Altay Mountains since 2003. The project is directed by Prof. Dr. Jean Bourgeois and dr. Wouter Gheyle, and is done in cooperation with the Department of Geography (Prof. Dr. Rudi Goossens and Prof. Dr. Alain De Wulf). At the time of the Tumulistanbul meeting, six archaeological survey campaigns were executed to gather field data. This yielded a voluminous database with information about 12,047 archaeological structures.3 Burial mounds are certainly the most common features, with the tumuli or kurgans of the Early Iron Age (roughly 9th–2nd century BC) as the best-known examples. Our detailed site plans, combined with the resulting database, enable us to study the internal layout of the burial complexes and their geographical distribution. There are clear variations, sometimes linked with different research areas (higher valleys as opposed to lower areas, etc.). The paper will highlight several of these aspects.

Using the past to indicate the possible presence of relics in the present-day landscape: the Western Front of the Great War in Belgium

Abstract The First World War (WWI) had a notable influence on the landscape at the former Western Front in Belgium. Research on a landscape scale is necessary to understand the destructive and constructive impact of the war and its consequences for the post-war landscape in a holistic manner. This paper focuses on the trajectory and impact analysis of three study areas with contrasting landscape types and aims to indicate possible preserved military relics today. Therefore, landscape changes are studied using historical aerial photographs (WWI and WWII) and contemporary orthophotos. A military landscape characterisation is made based on land use/land cover and linear structures that were mapped throughout time. Specific landscape trajectories could be designated as areas with a possible preservation of WWI heritage, with a related impact degree. The results are useful for sustainable heritage management and for further interdisciplinary research on WWI-heritage, by providing a broad knowledge of the area.