Merging Aerial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Satellite Multispectral Data to Inventory Archaeological Sites

Introduction Outcomes attributable to the research funded through the 2005 NCPPT grant can be summarized as follows: 1) Protocols for the detection of archaeological sites through the analysis of commercially available synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and multispectral images. Previously existing protocols for site detection through image analysis had utilized images generated from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data collected by an experimental JPL/NASA platform. 2) Strong evidence that the revised protocols can produce archaeological site signatures in environments characterized by moderate ground cover (i.e., tall grasses, large and dense shrubs, some forested areas usually comprised of small trees) and generally severe terrain. Previous protocols were developed and tested in an environment that was generally flat and covered by light vegetation (i.e., grasses and small shrubs).