Photogrammetric Acquisitions in Diverse Archaeological Contexts Using Drones: Background of the Ager Mellariensis Project (North of Córdoba-Spain)

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and aerial photogrammetry have greatly contributed to expanding research in scientific fields that employ geomatics techniques. Archaeology is one of the sciences that has advanced most as a result of this technological innovation. The geographic products obtained by UAV photogrammetric surveys can detect anomalies corresponding to ancient settlements and aid in designing future archaeological interventions. These acquisitions also offer attractive scientific dissemination products. We present five archaeological sites from different ages located in the Guadiato Valley of Córdoba, Spain, where a series of photogrammetric images were acquired for purposes of both research and dissemination. Acquisitions were designed based on the accessibility of the sites and on the end-user experience. The results present several photogrammetric products for use in research, and the mandatory dissemination of the results of a publicly-funded research project.