Bonemapping: a LiDAR processing and visualization technique in support of archaeology under the canopy

For the past decade, archaeologists have been using LiDAR or Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS)-based methods to uncover trace signatures of human civilization in the landscape. A new technique called bonemapping involves processing the ALS data to create a map-like representation of the landscape, which aids in the detection and interpretation of traces of human settlement. The technique is a combination of two methods – the Simple Morphological Filter (SMRF) for ALS processing and the Perceptually Shaded Slope Map (PSSM) for ALS representation – and is used to represent subtle changes in the terrain that are often indicative of previous human settlement. The SMRF algorithm adds value by retaining more “feature” cells than comparable terrain-finding algorithms, and is easy to tune through the use of two intuitive parameters – a slope threshold and a window size. The PSSM visualization is then used to apply a vertical exaggeration-based slope shading, which has proven useful as an aid to rapid feature detection, identification, and interpretation. The findings of two years of field use of bonemapping by archaeologists at El Pilar demonstrate the ways in which the bonemap offers a value-added perspective to archaeology under the canopy.