Digital Documentation and 3D Modeling of Archaeological Landscapes

The digitalization of archaeological landscapes may be considered a significant methodological breakthrough in heritage science. This paper discusses the concept of digital documentation and three-dimensional modeling through photogrammetry, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Structure from Motion (SfM), and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and their impact on theory and practice in the field of archaeology. The study reviews the history of the process from traditional manual approaches to computer-aided precise documentation techniques, with a focus on the key stages and turning points introduced by satellite-based remote sensing technologies, drone aerial surveying, and the democratization of consumer-grade laser scanning technologies. Critical discussions of the methodologies and workflows are complemented by case study examples from some of the most important archaeological landscapes around the world, from prehistoric megalithic landscapes to submerged coastal settlements, urban landscapes, and desert geoglyph landscapes. At its core, this work asserts that digital documentation and 3D modeling are not merely additional methodologies but, in fact, an epistemological paradigm shift allowing archaeologists to think beyond site-level documentation and instead engage with a more landscape-level, deep-time, multiscaling interpretive methodology. This has significant repercussions for heritage management, public outreach, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, which require a renewed investment in standardization within the global archaeological community.