High‐resolution remote sensing and GIS techniques for geobase data supporting archaeological surveys: A case study of ancient Doliche,southeast Turkey

The detection, surveying, and analysis of ancient settlement structures using remote sensing techniques offer a unique opportunity to quickly map the locations of archaeological objects in a relatively short time. High‐resolution images contribute information to the documentation and spatial relation of these objects, especially if Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Web‐based applications are used. The aim of this study was to assess the potential use of satellite data and aerial imagesacquired by a remote‐controlled balloon to generate geospatial data with a range of resolutions and information depths. The study area was Doliche, in the landscape of ancient Commagene (Turkey), where conventional flight campaigns are impossible or strongly restricted. Recently generated data sets (i.e., topographic maps, ortho‐images, terrain models) were combined with field observations to derive ancient and modern landscape patterns and their possible relation to an assumed “ancient procession road” between the village Doliche (Dülük) and the nearby sanctuary of theRoman divinity Iupiter Dolichenus. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.