Module overview
By the end of this module you will be familiar with digital photogrammetry in archaeology and the visualisation of photogrammetric datasets. You will also have a basic grounding in key methods in photogrammetry and be able to create accurate and detailed datasets. Working in small teams, you will learn how to successfully acquire still and video imagery and create digital models. In addition to this you will become experienced in both designing and implementing photogrammetric methodological solutions to archaeological research questions and evaluating their impact on recording and interpretation. Throughout the module you will learn to critique your application of photogrammetry and identify key elements of digital recording techniques.
Furthermore, you will extend your knowledge concerning the state-of-the-art methods of data visualisation. You will be acquainted with the creation and analysis of orthomosaics and digital elevation models. You will learn how to both create line drawings and cross-sections and combine photogrammetric datasets with new geospatial data, such as GPS and LiDAR data. As a translator between photogrammetry and archaeology you will also produce clear reports explaining and evaluating surveying and processing methodologies in specific contexts.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The contribution of photogrammetry and the theoretical and methodological developments in archaeological research trends.
- Survey techniques and the workflow of photogrammetry.
- Camera types and settings.
- The background and the history of photogrammetry and its application in archaeology.
- The theoretical and practical approaches of photogrammetry.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Document digital workflow methods and techniques.
- Operate photogrammetry software for both industry and academia.
- Learn and apply new data visualization skills through self-study.
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Capture still and video imagery using various camera types.
- Design and develop photogrammetric survey methods in a range of environments.
- Integrate and visualize photogrammetric data in 3D software.
- Document the photogrammetry workflow.
- Create photogrammetry models for research.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Design and develop a photogrammetry workflow to archaeological problems.
- Evaluate archaeological interpretations based on photogrammetric modelling.
- Understand alternative methods for visualizing data in archaeological interpretation and presentation.
Syllabus
Typically the syllabus will cover the following topics:
- Basics and principles of photogrammetry
- Camera equipment and calibration
- Still and video imagery capture and export
- Photogrammetry software and basic workflow
- Small scale photogrammetry
- Large scale photogrammetry
- Underwater photogrammetry
- Development of photogrammetric models with previously collected Drone/ROV data
- Marking, scaling and georeferencing
- Orthomosaic and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) creation
- Comparisons with alternative acquisition methods
- Basics of data visualization
- Plan and cross section creation
- Importing and analysing in GIS
- Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching will be a combination of:
- Lectures on the theory and practice of photogrammetry and the ways in which these have been applied to archaeological research and management.
- Practical classes in which the student will be encouraged to develop practical abilities to plan, design and deploy the application of photogrammetry and to visualise photogrammetric datasets in various software.
- The student is expected to undertake some background reading into the current and historical applications of photogrammetry within archaeology.
- Tutorials conducted periodically during the module to assist learning and evaluate progress.
Learning methods will be a combination of:
- Independent use of program-specific and general online and other electronic tutorials and other exercises.
- Completion of a short practical assignment each week on which you will receive informal feedback the following week.
- Use of online learning resources.
- Use of library resources.
- Preparation, design and participation in presentations of specific aspects relating to the module.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 102 |
| Teaching | 48 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Journal Articles
Pacheco-Ruiz, R., Adams, J. and Pedrotti, F. (2018). 4D modelling of low visibility Underwater Archaeological excavations using multi-source photogrammetry in the Bulgarian Black Sea.. Journal of Archaeological Science, 100, pp. 120-129.
Pacheco-Ruiz, R., Adams, J., Pedrotti, F., Grant, M., Holmlund, J. and Bailey, C. (2019). Deep sea archaeological survey in the Black Sea–Robotic documentation of 2,500 years of human seafaring.. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 152, pp. 103087.
Yamafune, K., R. Torres, and F. Castro. (2016). Multi-image photogrammetry to record and reconstruct underwater shipwreck sites. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, pp. 1-23.
Textbooks
Hadjimitsis, D., Themistocleous, K., Cuca, B., Agapiou, A., Lysandrou, V., Lasaponara, R., Masini, N., Schreier, G. (2019). Remote Sensing for Archaeology and Cultural Landscapes: Best Practices and Perspectives Across Europe and the Middle East. Springer.
McCarthy, J.K., Benjamin, J., Winton, T. and van Duivenvoorde, W. (2019). 3D Recording and Interpretation for Maritime Archaeology. Springer.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Practical exercise
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Verbal feedback in the practical and the following week.
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Digital project | 30% |
| Essay | 35% |
| Digital project | 35% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Coursework | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Coursework | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal