Intelligent Archaeological Mapping of Long-Term Settlement in Punjab

Intelligent Archaeological Mapping of Long-Term Settlement in Punjab (IArchMap) will develop a new workflow for the development of archaeological regional surveys through the application of machine learning methods to historical maps, multitemporal multisource satellite data and drone-acquired high-resolution imagery. These will be tested and complemented by field ground-truthing and analysis of field material. This new methodological approach will allow archaeologists to map atand characterise information on past human settlement over large areas with an unprecedent speed and accuracy.

IArchMap will complement site detection methods with data on landscape change that might have impacted human settlement and the formation and preservation of the archaeological record.

IArchMap design is based in a combination of experimental approaches currently in development by the supervisor and the host research group. The Action’s training will provide the researcher with the capacities required to implement those approaches in a single workflow for the first time. The research previous experience and expertise will provide ground-truthing data and an interpretative background to evaluate the project’s data contribution to current historical debates.

The selected regional case-study, the territory of the modern Punjab State (India) has been intensively settled since prehistory, but it has been significantly less explored than neighbouring regions. The project’s results will represent a significant step-forward in the knowledge on the historical settlement dynamics of the study area and the Indus Region in general; and will benefit its Cultural Heritage management and preservation. Methods and data employed for IArchMap will be freely accessible, which opens the possibility to apply them to other regions of South Asia and elsewhere.