Integrated RS, GIS and GPS approaches to archaeological prospecting in the Hexi Corridor, NW China:

• 作 者: Lei Luo Xinyuan Wang Chuansheng Liu Huadong Guo Xiaocui Du
• 机 构: Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Insitute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Acade
• 出 处: 遥感技术在长城保护中的应用国际研讨会
• 发表日期: 2014年6期
• 关键词: RS GIS GPS Archaeological Courier station Royal road system Hexi Corridor

　　According to historic records, the wasteland northeast of modern Dunhuang oasis contains remarkable,undiscovered monuments of medieval courier stations.In this study, statistical analysis of historic records and census data, image processing and interpretation of satellite remote sensing images, GIS analysis, and field surveys were carried out to contribute to the discovery of courier stations and the reconstruction of the medieval royal road system from Guazhou to Shazhou.Firstly, in order to obtain the existence regions of courier stations, historic records and census data were abstracted and digitized, for generating preliminary regions of interest by using GIS tools.Secondly, dried river channels and traces of the Great Wall were extracted from the remote sensing images, and GIS buffer and overlay analyses were applied to the creation of prospective sub-areas.Thirdly, prospective sub-areas were mapped from very high resolution WorldView-2 images, and suspected sites were found based on the human-computer interactive interpretation.Fourthly, suspected sites were investigated on the GPS-based archaeological survey, and were confirmed as two courier stations based on the remains of Han-Tang period observed at sites surface.Lastly, the royal road to ancient Dunhuang, one of the most important sections of the royal road system in the Hexi Corridor, was discussed and reconstructed with the combined application of remote sensing imagery and ground-truthing.