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Archeological imagery is the integration of imaging techolology, imagery analytical techniques and the formalized tasking and collection from a variety of sources and multispectral analysis. The best way to visualize this activity is to follow the example of the intelligence community from World War 1 and onward. This is because the introduction of aerial collection made it necessary to organize and orient the staff system towards a multi-disciplined and later a multispectral approach.

The first focus is that of managing limited collection resources. In the case of the early days of photo intelligence, low resolution was a more useful and economical approach. Higher resolution would reveal more specific information, but was to be used sparingly. This is where economy plays an important role. If you take into account that low resolution is perfectly suited for most archeological applications, the more exotic imaging platforms are both unnecessary and much more expensive. As in the example given on how tasking was developed, its a question of getting the most information economically.

I. In a drier environment, the physical layout of a given area will clue you towards using a multispectral approach to home in on promising sites with the use of ground-based imaging finalizing the surveying process, making excavation the last step. Let's take the Sinai as an example:

a. Military. If you try to determine how the ancient egyptians accessed the copper mines in the southwest, most people would not realize that an overland route would be dangerous and expensive because of the need for garrisons along the way.

'2. Terrain Analysis.' The northern part of Egypt is almost completely featureless. The only practical way would have been to access the eastward valley just north of present-day Cairo to the Red Sea just south of present-day Port Said. From there they would sail to the western shore of the Sinai, turning south and reach the coastal plain at present-day Ras Abu Rudeis, the mines being close by.

'3. The tasking of collection assets.' Terrain analysis(low-resolution photo) has now made it possible to look at the following locations: The route towards the embarcation point,underwater exploration of both ports(underwater surveying) and the route towards both mines.

II. A more humid environment would make it necessary to include synthetic aperture radar that would make stone cities and temple complexes stand out. (low resolution photo terrain analysis will indicate probable locations which will be cued in radar imaging to examine and confirm these locations).

Aerial collection will, just in the case of the military, significantly change how Archeology's scope and operation is currently done. The information flow, economy and timeliness will greatly benefit this field. The most important benefit will be to include a multisourced, multispectral approach that accelerates the discovery of new sites.

Related Articles:

• Imagery Analysis
• Terrain Analysis
• Imaging Technologies
• Remote Sensing
• Archeology