New Approaches to Spatial Archaeometry: Applications from the Near East

This paper reviews key recent developments in geospatial technologies and their archaeological applications, an emerging area of research that can be termed “spatial archaeometry.” I focus on three areas: 1) regional-scale satellite remote sensing of archaeological landscapes, 2) kite, balloon, and drone-based low-altitude aerial imaging, and 3) innovative approaches to archaeological geophysics at complex Near Eastern sites. Far from being simply a support to traditional archaeological investigations, these and other spatial archaeometric technologies offer powerful new means to explore the past, producing rich, robust, and large-scale datasets that could not be replicated through conventional fieldwork.