SATELLITE IMAGERY DETECTION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS: EXPERIMENTS WITH FIELD MEASURED SPECTRAL SIGNATURES OF AGRICULTURAL SEDIMENTS AND ANCIENT COPPER MINING IN OMAN

Spectral signatures that quantify the relative brightness of different wavelengths of sunlight reflected by different types of objects are controlled by objects’ chemical and physical properties. These unique signatures can therefore be used to distinguish and map different target objects in satellite imagery. Publically availably spectral libraries provide signatures for typical rock, mineral, sediment and vegetation targets, but signatures collected in laboratory conditions are not necessarily representative of anthropogenically and environmentally unique field contexts. This poster presents a preliminary overview of satellite imagery and field spectrometry analysis conducted in the Al-Dhahirah region of Oman. Initial results indicate that spectral signatures can help distinguish irrigated sediments from surrounding natural alluvium and byproducts of copper smelting (slag) from surrounding natural geologies. Our efforts better inform target detection of archaeological remains in Oman and are helping to enhance understanding of spatial patterning of ancient agricultural activity and copper production.