ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY DESIGN USING LIDAR BASED DIGITAL TERRAIN ANALYSIS: EXAMPLES FROM THE BOREAL FOREST OF ALBERTA, CANADA

Archaeological sites in the boreal forest of Canada commonly occur on small landforms associated with water sources. Most of these landforms are difficult to detect using traditional topographic maps and aerial imagery due to their low relief and small footprint. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) digital elevation data can be used to resolve terrain features at a much finer scale than conventional digital elevation models (DEMs) and topographic maps, frequently at a scale consistent with landforms that contain archaeological sites. In this project, manual and digital terrain analyses were conducted to test whether high resolution LiDAR data could improve survey design in the boreal forest region of Alberta, Canada. Results indicate that the use of LiDAR improves survey efficiency, and that digital terrain analysis methods blended with sedimentary and environmental observations can be used to reflect conceptual models used by archaeologists in survey design.