{"id":8196,"date":"2023-07-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/18\/eu-space-technologies-and-development-tools-revolutionize-archaeological-research\/"},"modified":"2023-07-18T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T00:00:00","slug":"eu-space-technologies-and-development-tools-revolutionize-archaeological-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/18\/eu-space-technologies-and-development-tools-revolutionize-archaeological-research\/","title":{"rendered":"EU Space technologies and development tools revolutionize archaeological research"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just as Indiana Jones captivates audiences with his new adventures, EU Space technologies captivate modern archaeologists, offering new possibilities for exploration and discovery in the field of archaeology.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Modern archaeologists have made GNSS and Earth Observation their tools of choice.<\/p>\n

Take for example GNSS, which has emerged as the tool of trade for many archaeological projects. \u201cBefore GNSS, the archaeological excavation process was both cumbersome, hands-on and physically demanding,\u201d Shane McCartney, a consultant archaeologist at Earthworks Archaeological Services Inc., tells XY Ht magazine<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019d be out in the field with 50-metre tapes and pen and paper in hand trying to triangulate, grid and count off the number of paces from such reference points as \u2018the big pine tree next to the fence.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Not only is this process very slow, it\u2019s also prone to error. That\u2019s why archaeologists have largely ditched the tape and paper and instead rely on the precise positioning provided by GNSS. Using Galileo<\/a>, Europe\u2019s GNSS programme, they can now quickly survey a field site, accurately map the location of any uncovered artefacts and compile all the data into an easy-to-use GIS system.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

EO to the rescue\u00a0<\/h3>\n

The role of EU Space in archaeology doesn\u2019t end with the excavation. After all, once an artefact or site is uncovered, it then needs to be preserved \u2013 something that\u2019s becoming all the more challenging due to climate change. In fact, it\u2019s estimated that as much as 5% of our 1,121 UNESCO World Heritage<\/a> sites are in danger and in need of increased protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here too, EU Space can help.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For instance, in Rhodes, archaeologists are using Earth Observation data provided by Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS)<\/a> to monitor the impact settlement pressure is having on the island\u2019s cultural heritage sites.<\/p>\n

Founded in 408 B.C., the area\u2019s rich history is still very much visible today \u2013 including parts of the ancient necropolis, monumental graves, cave sanctuaries and a Roman bridge. Unfortunately, all this important cultural heritage is being threatened by the island\u2019s constantly shifting soil.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

As part of the pan-European component of the CLMS, the European Ground Motion Service (EGMS)<\/a> provides an unprecedented opportunity to study geohazards and human-induced deformation such as slow-moving landslides, subsidence due to groundwater exploitation or underground mining, volcanic unrests and many more. The EGMS also serves as a starting point for investigation of ground motion affecting buildings and linear infrastructures.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTo prevent further damage to the monuments and adopt effective conservation measures, we need accurate and up-to-date information on land deformation,\u201d says Sotiris Patatoukos, Head of the Department of Conservation, Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese, in this video produced by Eurisy<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the support of the EU-funded HYPERION project<\/a>, authorities in Rhodes are using Copernicus data to better understand land movement and how such movement is impacting various archaeological sites. After collecting more than 100 images between 2016 and 2019, researchers discovered that the area around the Rodini cultural site had experienced a 10 mm uplift. With this information in hand, archaeologists were able to take action to stabilise the most threatened monuments.<\/p>\n

\u201cFacilitating the early recognition of potential risks to the monuments and allowing us to regularly monitor land deformation in the area, Copernicus is an essential tool for preserving our cultural heritage,\u201d Vassiliki Patsiada, an archaeologist at the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese, tells Eurisy<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, when you\u2019re out exploring Europe\u2019s plethora of cultural heritage sights this summer, remember, while fedoras look great for selfies in front of the Colosseum or Acropolis, its EU Space that\u2019s working to preserve those iconic backdrops.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Media note: <\/strong>This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http:\/\/www.euspa.europa.eu<\/a><\/span>)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

EU Agency for the Space ProgrammeRead More<\/a> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just as Indiana Jones captivates audiences with his new adventures, EU Space technologies captivate modern archaeologists, offering new possibilities for exploration and discovery in the field of archaeology.\u00a0 Modern archaeologists have made GNSS and Earth Observation their tools of choice. Take for example GNSS, which has emerged as the tool of trade for many archaeological…
Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-eu-news","category-events"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8196\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}