The Pylos Geoarchaeological Program: fusion of images towards understanding ancient landscape

Abstract

The coastal zone in the northern area of Pylos, Messenia, constitutes a landscape of incomparable beauty and of particularly great historical, archaeological and environmental importance, while also providing for great tourist development. The windless ports of Navarino and Voidokoilia bay protected from the open sea by the long mountain ridges of the island of Sphakteria, the peninsula of Koryphasium including the hills of Prophitis Ilias and Koukouras in its northern edge, the access to the sea and therefore organised trade, the fertile hinter-land attractive man who occupied the area from the Neolithic period (ca mid-4th millennium BC) and being active at intervals until nowadays leaving an impressive cultural reserve. The five-year research program of “Pylos Geoarchaeological Program – GEAPP” is in operation since 2021. Among the goals of the Program that stand out are landscape reconstruction, the use of new technological tools for archaeological and environmental research, commitment to informing local bodies about the rich cultural heritage and the special ecosystem, while contributing to the balanced and sustainable development of the area. The endeavour of the present study is an attempt to fuse data and images from a series of approaches, namely geophysical survey using magnetometry, aerial photography with the use of UAS and past excavation (since 1963) photos, implemented during the survey season of July 2021 covering an area of ca. 6,000m2 North-East to the Profitis Elias hill at Pylos. The co-evaluation of the geophysical data, remote sensing methods and surface research are targeting in maximizing the obtained information and increasing the reliability of the interpretation in the detection of archae-ological targets. The results of the study provided the development of a technological case depended on meth-odology aiming to a better resolution and accuracy of the spotted antiquities and therefore towards a successful management of the area, safeguarding and promoting buried antiquities.

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ORCID for Alexandra Karamitrou: orcid.org/0000-0002-4142-1958

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