Daggett Surveying Inc. will use a controlled archaeological context to develop remote sensing techniques. Using a commercially available thermographic scanner they will image the variations in ground surface temperature differences caused by differential evaporation rates of vadose water. Variation, they believe is affected by subsurface disturbances such as soil compaction and buried structures that comprise an archaeological site. They will scan in the middle to far-infrared wavelengths in the range from 2 to 14 micrometers. In addition to real-time display, data will be captured on diskette for computer analysis, enhancement and interpretation. In this first stage the team will work at a known archaeological site which will then be excavated after thermographic scanning. Thus ground truth will be obtained. This technique is important because it will allow archaeologists both to locate sites more efficiently and to plan excavation in a more effective manner. Location of archaeological sites is necessary for mitigation work related to highway, pipeline and other construction.
