On the potential of QuickBird data for archaeological prospection

In this study, the potential and feasibility of the use of panchromatic and multispectral QuickBird data for the identification and spatial characterization of archaeological sites was evaluated. The analysis is focused on the assessment of the capability of Quickbird images to detect surface anomalies expected in the presence of archaeological buried remains. The investigations were performed for a test case in the South of Italy, where human activity has been logged from Paleolithic to Middle Ages. The obtained results showed that the Quickbird panchromatic and data fusion products can be a flexible data source for archaeological prospections, that can be useful for extracting features of archaeological sites, prior to any excavation work and for increasing the cultural value of historical sites.