Hyperspectral detection dynamics of archaeological vegetation marks and enhancement using full waveform LiDAR data

Archaeological features are the result of anthropogenic interference with the natural soil matrix. This causes differences in the composition and structure of the soil. These influence the development and health of the vegetation on the surface which may be detectable remotely. Indeed much work has been conducted using aerial photography indicating that the use of current remote sensing technologies could lead to improved detection. This paper explores the potential of hyperspectral and full waveform LiDAR data for the mapping of archaeology at an arable site in the UK. It is demonstrated that the archaeological features are detectable by both sensor types most successfully when looking at products that pertain to biomass. This means there is great potential for data fusion approaches using these products. These could be used to improve the spatial resolution of the hyperspectral data and potentially to improve the analysis of biomass in spectra analysis of vegetation parameters.