Remote sensing involves the use of various geophysical prospecting technologies (e.g. ground penetrating radar, gradiometry, resistivity, and conductivity) to identify and map buried resources and surfaces. These techniques have the advantage of being non-invasive, non-destructive, fast, accurate, and efficient. Traditionally used in the engineering industry, recent technological advances have allowed archaeologists to adopt them for use on a wide range of sites. When applied to cultural resource management, remote sensing can be helpful for site evaluations as well as guiding intensive excavations through identification of the locations of subsurface features.

New South Associates has successfully used remote sensing to help address a range of archaeological issues. At archaeological sites, it can make it possible to pinpoint the locations of structures, rail lines, pit features, foundations, kilns, and other buried features, which allows our project archaeologists to complete projects with greater accuracy and efficiency. On cemeteries, remote sensing can be used as part of a larger cemetery restoration or relocation project to locate unmarked graves and accurately determine cemetery boundaries.

New South Associates currently owns a SIR-3000 control unit, a 400mhz antenna, and RADAN processing software, all manufactured by GSSI, one of the premier providers of remote sensing equipment. Our future plans include expanded equipment capabilities and services. New South Associates provides remote sensing studies to other CRM firms as one of our specialized service programs.

This map shows details from one of the remote sensing blocks at a historic brick factory in the southeast. The high amplitude linear target is an abandoned rail bed and associated pipe. Additional remote sensing blocks revealed evidence of former structures and work areas. New South Associates' use of GPR on this project allowed data recovery excavations to be targeted on discrete locations and assisted the expedited completion of the data recovery fieldwork within one month. The quick completion of the archaeological field studies facilitated the construction schedule.