Free and Low-Cost Aerial Remote Sensing in Archaeology

ABSTRACT Recent years have seen the rapid expansion of airborne and spaceborne remote-sensing products adopted by archaeologists for interpreting ancient landscapes managing heritage resources. A growing increasingly specialized literature attests to promise availability commercial publicly funded satellite imagery, as well UAV-mounted sensors across a range resolutions price points. In South Caucasus (including countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), commitment landscape approaches in archaeology is stimulating adoption remote sensing an important new tool identifying archaeological resources while tracing impact historic land-use alterations survey areas. Nevertheless, budgetary challenges lack training opportunities among international partners organizations outside funding streams large academic institutions can lead widening technological gulfs discipline that reinforce colonial relationships. Building on recent technical articles covering specific imagery datasets, this article aims address providing general review free or low-cost remotely sensed datasets available archaeologists, with aim broadening awareness these tools their vocabularies, illustrating them published examples from Caucasus.