Archaeology and Drones: Student Research of a Roman Villa and its Environment in Croatia

Added event in honor of International Archaeology Day:

Archaeology and Drones: Student Research of a Roman Villa and its Environment in Croatia

Friday, October 19, 2018, 3:15 pm, Anderson Student Center, Room 233, University of St. Thomas (#27 on this map)

The Croatian-American interdisciplinary project of documenting and excavating a Roman maritime villa site on St. Klement Island started in 2007. New this summer was the application of drone technology in recording the excavation process and relating features of human presence to the environment. 

Two UST students of geography, Alice Ready and Emma Rinn, the recipients of the Sustainability Scholars Grant and the Young Scholars Grant respectively, collected photo and special data in the field. In collaboration with Dr. Paul Lorah, Alice produced a series of map layers depicting contemporary and ancient landscapes. Emma sequentially recorded the excavation process and created 3D models of the multi-period site. They will present their methods and results in illustrated presentations, posters and in Q&A session.

Drones, as Emma says, accurately and efficiently collect photo and special data, creating data paths and gaining unique perspectives. She sequentially recorded the excavation process and then analyzed the drone-acquired imagery and data in ESRI’s ArcGIS Pro/Scene software to create 3D models of the multi-period site. Alice used the drone to generate a study area of the villa site and acquired high resolution georeferenced images. In collaboration with Dr. Paul Lorah and through ArcPro OrthoMapping she processed an orthomosaic and digital elevation model depicting the landscape. By masking out vegetation and extracting edges of built features, indication of human presence, she demonstrated effectiveness of drones in highlighting areas of potential archaeological significance.

Co-sponsored by the following departments and programs at the University of St. Thomas:

Geography and Environmental Studies, History, Office of Sustainability Initiatives, Sustainability Scholars Grant Program, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and the College of Arts and Sciences 

Pay parking is available in the Anderson Parking Facility (#71 on the map)