@article{3c647eca7f15437c8840cd3bd15f911a,
title = "Reanalyzing environmental lidar data for archaeology: Mesoamerican applications and implications",
abstract = "This paper presents a preliminary archaeological assessment of extensive transects of lidar recently collected by environmental scientists over southern Mexico using the G-LiHT system of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. In particular, this article offers the results of a first phase of research, consisting of: 1) characterization and classification of the cultural and ecological context of the samples, and 2) bare earth processing and visual inspection of a sample of the flight paths for identification of probable anthropogenic Precolumbian features. These initial results demonstrate that significant contributions to understanding variations in Precolumbian land-use and settlement patterns and change is possible with truly multi-regional lidar surveys not originally captured for archaeological prospection. We point to future directions for the development of archaeological applications of this robust data set. Finally, we offer the potential for enriching archaeological research through tightly coupled collaborations with environmental science and monitoring. Archaeologists in the neotropics can acquire more data, better realize the full potential of lidar surveys, and better contribute to interdisciplinary studies of human-environmental dynamic systems through regionally focused and collaborative scientific research.",
author = "Charles Golden and Timothy Murtha and Bruce Cook and Shaffer, {Derek S.} and Whittaker Schroder and Hermitt, {Elijah J.} and {Alcover Firpi}, Omar and Scherer, {Andrew K.}",
note = "Funding Information: Field research at El Kinel, Guatemala was conducted by the Sierra del Lacand{\'o}n Regional Archaeology Project, directed by Charles Golden, Andrew Scherer, and Rosaura Vasquez, with support from the Heinz Foundation, The National Geographic Society, Wagner College, Baylor University, the Theodore and Jane Norman Fund and the Jane's Fund from the Latin American and Latino Studies program at Brandeis University . All research was conducted with the permission of the community of La Tecnica and the Instituto de Antropolog{\'i}a e Historia of Guatemala. Field research in Chiapas, Mexico described in this article conducted by Golden and Scherer takes place thanks to a permit from the Instituto Nacional de Antropolog{\'i}a e Historia of Mexico, with support from Brandeis University and Brown University . Portions of this research reported here was supported by The Hamer Center at Penn State and The National Science Foundation ( CNH1211809 ). Lidar data were collected by Dr. Hank Margolis (NASA Headquarters, Program Manager, NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program) with support from a NASA Carbon Cycle Science award to Ross Nelson (Program Announcement Number NNH10ZDA001N-CARBON). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 The Authors",
year = "2016",
month = oct,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.07.029",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "9",
pages = "293--308",
journal = "Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports",
issn = "2352-409X",
publisher = "Elsevier BV",
}