A complete new view of Stonehenge’s landscape

Author:Renata Barradas Gutiérrez

地理空间技术正在重塑考古学家如何研究和解锁历史的秘密。巨石阵是英国最著名的地标和研究的纪念碑之一，在经过几个世纪的发掘和理论之后，正在用现代工具揭示。有了超过10，000年的历史，这个联合国教科文组织世界遗产（包括它所在的更广阔的景观）已被数字映射，以披露数百种新功能，从而使我们对这一标志性文化景观的理解更加明显。

为了解决其奥秘，路德维希·鲍尔茨曼（Ludwig Boltzmann）考古学研究所和虚拟考古学研究所（LBI考古学）（LBI考古学）和伯明翰大学使用的地理空间技术，例如激光扫描，磁法，磁性仪和地面穿透性雷达与地理信息系统（GIS）（GIS）和GNSSS（GIS）组合，定位create digital models at a true scale。这modelsinclude visible and invisible archaeological features that are part of a unified digital map。

这five-year archaeology projectachieved what conventional excavation methods would have taken several decades to complete. The Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project is the largest endeavour of its kind,揭示隐藏的纪念碑在该地区周围了解它们如何与巨石阵及其周围的神圣景观以及建造它们的人们相互联系。

非侵入性考古学工具

这project, initiated in 2010, has the goal to create a detailed digital archaeological map of the entire landscape around Stonehenge through a seamless survey of the areas between known monuments using state-of-the-art geophysical surveys and remote sensing techniques.

为此，使用非侵入性假期方法来绘制可见和不可见的绘制：
• Leica Geosystems robotic total stations and field software
•Leica Geosystems GNSS和GPS系统
•高分辨率磁力仪
• Ground-penetrating radar (GPR)
• Electromagnetic induction
• 3D laser scanning

这newdata retrieved with all this equipment threw light upon 10,000 years of human progress以及周围蓬勃发展的文化和人们。测量将接地雷达，高分辨率磁力计和3D激光扫描和地球物理仪器的数据组合在GIS中，然后进行分析以生成多层数字地图，以显示景观如何在数千年前发展。

在空旷的空间中找到丢失的纪念碑

这有史以来最大的地球物理研究调查worldwide resulted in thediscovery of several unknown monumentsin the space surrounding the well-known stone circle.

“Developing non-invasive methods to document our cultural heritage is one of the greatest challenges of our time and can only be accomplished by adapting the latest technology, such as ground-penetrating radar arrays and high-resolution magnetometers,”路德维希·鲍尔茨曼学院主任沃尔夫冈·诺巴教授说。“The developments of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology offers the opportunity to carry out fundamental archaeological research at a scale and precision never previously attempted。”

GPRwith Leica GeosystemsGNSS天线用于用地理参考的局部坐标系绘制地下绘制地下绘制。Using Leica Geosystems GPS systems, LBI archaeologists could establish a network of control points for tracking of the measurement equipment. Centimetre-accuracy and speed of the geo-referencing method were essential for this task.

作为挑战的一部分,该团队已经开发all motorised systems and keep them running on site while accomplishing the work in short time periods. Repairs, modifications and developments had to be done on site and on their own. Prof. Neubauer and his team used Leica Geosystems GNSS and Leica Geosystems robotic total stations to track and navigate the novel motorized survey tools and to georeference the exact position of the “anomalies” revealed by the survey.

GPR在2013年检测到的异常，最初被认为是掩埋的石头，已使用Leica Geosystems在距Stone Circle 3公里的Durrington Walls的Leica Geosystems静止不动。bob apple以下发掘证明异常是大型木材的石质补充，用于大规模的木柱，形成一个主要的纪念碑，直径超过500米，比石圆圈。发掘项目使用了完全3D数字文档，包括Leica Geoystems总站，并被授予bob applebest project in the UK in 2016 by British Archaeology。

揭示了古老的工程野心

巨石阵在其景观中不隔离。这些发现有助于构思巨石阵，这是一个快速发展和动态的神圣景观的核心40 kilometres squared。这survey of unprecedented scale and resolution became possible due to technological advancements and knowledge and uncovered the complex interconnections between the surviving monuments and many other new discovered monuments belonging to the lost civilizations. This allowed scientist and researchers to put it all together in one big picture – allowing to accurately tell Stonehenge’s story as part of a sacred landscape.

通过观察th巨石阵只能理解e monuments around it and how that landscape has evolved. Using cutting edge, multi-sensor technologies, numerous archaeological structures could be uncovered, such as the new large timber monument at Durrington Walls. The results of the survey include 17 new Neolithic including barrows, henges, ditches and enormous prehistoric pits, dating to the periods before, contemporary and after the time when Stonehenge was at its zenith. Built to celebrate the passage of the sun, linking its position with the landscape, the new discoveries support the ritual significance of Stonehenge and its landscape on the Salisbury Plain in England.

Reinventing Stonehenge for this generation

What was initially carved with stone and bone tools has been unveiled with 21st century geospatial technology. The hundreds of new-discovered features allowed researchers to produce a more detailed archaeological digital map, thus, revealing the big picture of Stonehenge. Leica Geosystems equipment helped archaeologists to trace the marks of humans that occupied the landscape during the last 10,000 years and to contextualise the site in space and time into digital maps, which will guide how Stonehenge and its landscape are studied in the future.