Use of high-resolution airborne laser scanning for the analysis of archeological and natural landscapes on the northern Great Plains
Sturdevant JT, Wilson SK, Bragg J. 2013. Use of high-resolution airborne laser scanning for the analysis of archeological and natural landscapes on the northern Great Plains. Park Science. 30(2):22-25
Archeology integrates new and existing data to understand how humans interacted with their environment, in both the recent and distant past. This article provides an example of research into human-environment interactions and insights into how resulting information can assist park managers across programs. In 2012, an interdisciplinary team from the Midwest Archeological Center, the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network, and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site initiated a research project to produce a high-resolution laser scan of the landscape along the Knife River at its confluence with the Missouri River. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is an airborne-based light-emitting sensor that produces a high-resolution threedimensional model of the ground surface, vegetation, and other landscape features. Applied to archeological sites, this technique can reveal archeological features such as earthen lodge depressions, walled enclosures, trails, and linear earthen mounds. Natural features are also evident in the three-dimensional landscape models and include former river channels of the Knife River, eroded banks, vegetation, and infrastructure such as roads, buildings, and bridges. The three-dimensional landscape models provide detailed information on the location and extent of archeological resources, assist with the investigation of complex village landscapes, and enable the consideration of impacts from natural processes on archeological site preservation.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Sturdevant, Jay; Wilson, Stephen; Bragg, Jeff
- Units
- KNRI , MWAC , NGPN
- Keywords
- airborne laser scanning, alluvial geomorphology, archeological landscapes, Archeology, Hidatsa, Knife River, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Missouri River