Spatial Technology and Cultural Landscape: Discovering the Potential Archaeological Settlements and the Sustainable Heritage Sites

Dear Colleagues,

Archaeological and heritage buildings are undoubtedly unique, priceless, and irreplaceable sites. Recently, these sites have faced many environmental and geo-environmental risk from both natural and human factors. On one hand, natural factors (e.g., climate changes, flooding, and earthquakes) cause risk on both known (discovered) and unknown (covered) heritage sites, such as collapsing and disappearing the heritage sites over time and increasing the groundwater level according to the increase in sea-water level. On the other hand, changes in land use/cover are also a risk faced by archaeological sites, according to the urban and agriculture crawling on the heritage sites as a result of unplanned human activities. New technology such as remote sensing imagery and Geophysics tools proved their importance in the field of archaeological studies with regard to preserving archaeological buildings and discovering known (based on ancient official documents) and unknown monumental sites.

This Special Issue aims to use the available topographic maps, Optical and Radar satellite data, geophysics equipment, and remote sensing platforms (e.g., Google Earth Engine) to detect the environmental risks that threaten heritage sites, alongside discovering archaeological sites. There are many engineering and mathematical models that can be created for the purpose of protecting cultural and heritage sites. For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: using new technologies to preserve heritage sites besides discovering the buried archaeological sites, creating innovative methods for preserving archaeological sites, new scientific methods that can be used in excavation missions, and sustaining heritage sites based on the available new technologies.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Abdelaziz Elfadaly
Guest Editor

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• archaeological remote sensing
• cultural landscape
• paleo-landscape features
• paleo-river
• land use/cover changes
• optical and radar remote sensing satellite data
• geophysics equipment
• GIS and R.S software
• Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform