Oblique aerial photography in a GIS environment for geo-archaeological research: a case study: the Potenza Valley survey

In January 2000, Ghent University started the Potenza Valley Survey, a geo-archaeological project. One of the research methods employed is aerial photography. This method has already proved to be an extremely valuable tool in archaeological survey, in particular simple oblique photography from a small aircraft, as photographs can easily be made in the most appropriate season, weather and light conditions. A major drawback of this method is the complex geometric distortions that are encountered, preventing the photos to be automatically incorporated in an archaeological GIS. "AirPhoto 2.20" is used to rectify the images, as it is low-cost software that is specifically developed for the rectification of photographs made with handheld uncalibrated cameras. Nevertheless, different transformation procedures have to be followed as the terrain is very varied. Afterwards, the input in a GIS enables a better interpretation as well as on-screen digitizing of the archaeological and geomorphological features