Identification of archaeological buried remains based on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Quickbird satellite data

In this study, Quickbird Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data were used in order to assess their capability in the field of archaeological prospection. The investigations were performed for a test case (Jure Vetere in the South of Italy) that is characterized by the presence of dense vegetation mainly composed by herbaceous plants. The results showed the high capability of QuickBird NDVI to enhance the typical surface anomalies linked to the presence of archaeological buried remains. The detected anomalies were confirmed by independent investigations based on geophysical prospections performed in 2005.