Satellite & Air Photos

It is often easier to see archaeological features in air photos than it is to see them at ground level. Air photos are frequently taken in series where a portion of one photo overlaps another. If one places two such overlapping photos at a distance corresponding to the distance between your eyes and view the photos through stereoscopic lenses, features can be seen in three-dimensional form. Can you see the raised ridges of a large house in the air photo pair of the L’Anse aux Meadows site taken in 1961 when only a part of the site was excavated?

Satellite Photos

If satellite photos of the area you wish to study are available, you can use them to see it from a height determined by you.

Overhead Photos

Overhead photos taken at right angles of the ground in overlapping sections can also provide a stereoscopic view of the ground but at much closer distance than that in regular air photos. Such photos can be obtained by mounting a camera to a high frame of some kind. Several such frames have been developed for archaeology, among them the Whittelesay bipod and Swedish photo turret shown here.

Air Photo 17543-56

Air Photo 17543-55

Photo turret

Overhead Photo of Swedish burial 1

Overhead photo of Swedish burial 2

Overhead photo of Swedish burial 3