ABSTRACT
Prior to conducting remote sensing research, an archaeological team must decide what imagery to use for their analyses. Where to start is not something previous authors have discussed in an in-depth fashion. This chapter will address many issues related to choosing appropriate satellite imagery for nearly any research area in the world. Before ordering a satellite image, information should be obtained about the cost, date, resolution, spectral coverage, spatial coverage, and availability of each imagery type under consideration. How will archaeologists know what imagery to consider for each landscape type? Teams may not be aware of the specific archaeological features they might encounter, or the most appropriate imagery to choose. Covering every type of known satellite imagery in this chapter would not help, as there are dozens of satellite image types. As with all technology, additional advances will make possible the use of an even wider variety of imagery types. For the purposes of this book, it is prudent to focus on the most common satellite imagery utilized by archaeologists, shown in Table 3.1. Important information will be provided for each imagery type, so archaeologists will have a good understanding of the spectral, spatial, and temporal properties of each, as well as the advantages or disadvantages for use in satellite archaeology.
