The DJI Phantom 4 was recently launched by archaeologist David Givens and Bob Chartrand to survey a historical site. This took place at Smith field – a grassy area on Jamestown Island in Virginia. The drone is helping the archaeologist discover new information about its history.  Back in 1607, Captain John Smith was one of the first people to established an English settlement at Jamestown.

Givens explained that the rising water is a threat to this historical site and the tides that regularly flooded the island have become more frequent. A study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated that the flooding will only get worse because of climate change.  This prediction has huge implications for future archaeological work in Jamestown. There are currently 26 sites on the island that are dealing with rising waters making it hard for scientists to decide where to begin.

Givens and Chartrand have resorted to using drones to solve this issue. They are creating a drone-based project that will help survey the area faster. It will use a 3D mapping software which will help identify the sites that need to be prioritized for excavation.  For a long time, using standard photography was the standard tool for surveying. Drone technology has since changed this.

Drone based imaging can be used to capture hundreds of high definition images. This can reveal extensive information providing hundreds of thousands of pixels per meter. When compared to LIDAR which provides only 30 pixels per meter, drones will be a welcome improvement.  Givens explained this by showing a 3D image of Smith field that was created by the Phantom 4. The image was of a Pepsi truck turning around and the tire marks in the sand could be seen clearly showing how detailed the technology has become. Drone imagery far surpasses traditional aerial imagery. “There is absolutely no comparison”, stated Givens.

He also stressed that he and his colleague were in the early stages of using drone imagery to map the Jamestown sites. Because they’re not NASA or USGS, but rather just a couple of archaeologists, progress might be a little slow.  Every day, they are confronted with bigger problems on the site and the good news is that with the use of drone technology, they can tackle a problem that many archaeologists have faced before them. The future of excavating and surveying using drones will certainly become the norm. We can expect to see all types of new drones come to the market which will help in all aspects of our daily lives.

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