Multispectral Remote Sensing Data Analysis and Application for Detecting Moats Around Medieval Settlements in South India

This work explores the potential of multispectral imagery in identifying dried and buried moats, and possibly any adjacent fortifications of medieval sites in South India. Vegetation marks in the form of geometrical patterns have been one of the key signatures indicating archaeological sites. To exp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing 2014, Vol.42 (3), p.651-657
Main Authors: Rajani, M. B, Kasturirangan, K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
image analysis
multispectral imagery
planning
religion
remote sensing
Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry
Short Note
spatial data
vegetation
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Summary:This work explores the potential of multispectral imagery in identifying dried and buried moats, and possibly any adjacent fortifications of medieval sites in South India. Vegetation marks in the form of geometrical patterns have been one of the key signatures indicating archaeological sites. To explore this three of well known sites from Karnataka in south India–Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapura–were chosen as their historical accounts mention that they were townships which had circumscribing artefacts such as fort/wall or moats that at present are not easily detected from conventional exploration. These three sites belong to Hoysala dynasty, a period when a systematic town planning was followed based on cultural aspects such as the religion or faith followed by the inhabitants of respective sites. Traces of specific configuration of moats can be detected around each of them. The present work investigates the possibility of identifying these artefacts on space imageries through spatial and spectral distinction along with synoptic views and use of appropriate image processing and analysis techniques.
ISSN:0255-660X
0974-3006
DOI:10.1007/s12524-013-0346-4