Developing terrestrial laser scanning of threatened coastal archaeology with special reference to intertidal structures

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to develop a means of using terrestrial laser scanning to rapidly record coastal and intertidal archaeology within its immediate environs and to use that context to understand its construction and function. Key to this is the underlying concept that structures built to exploit and utilise the resources of the intertidal zone are fully dependant on the dynamics of their immediate landscape. Terrestrial laser scanning provides a level of data not previously gathered in the recording of intertidal sites, allowing a highly detailed recording of complex three dimensional structures to a high level of accuracy, and, through integration with other forms of metric survey, the placement of this information within a wider topographic landscape.

The challenges of the intertidal zone hamper traditional archaeological recording techniques, and very often the complexity of structures, subtleties of topography, and distance from the shore can mean that planning of sites ignores the context of the wider landscape. This thesis provides a methodological approach to dealing with these issues, but also looks at how the data generated can go further into answering questions about the interaction of human technology with the dynamics of the landscape. Case studies at a number of sites throughout England and France are presented and used to examine various aspects of the technology and its application to coastal and intertidal archaeology.

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ORCID for Julian Leyland: orcid.org/0000-0002-3419-9949

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