GNSS role in planning and conductance of terrain archaeological survey: Technical aspects and methodology

The purpose of the present paper is to present the technical aspects and the methodological framework of applying non-destructive methods and technologies for planning and conductance of terrain archaeological survey. The remote sensing methods together with the GNSS and geoinformation technologies play an important role in the terrain survey. The proposed approach is focused on the technical aspects of applying GNSS technologies in the field work. This approach was applied on the Early-Medieval archaeological object Kabiyuk, located in Northeast Bulgaria, announced as a National Historical and Archaeological Reserve in 2012. Kabiyuk is one of the main archaeological sites connected with the First Bulgarian Kingdom, whose earthen rampart is at second place after the fortification of the First Bulgarian Capital -Pliska. The methodological framework for terrain survey includes four main stages - planning of the terrain archaeological survey; preliminarily survey of the archaeological site; conductance of the terrain survey and GNSS measurements and post-processing of the recorded data and collected information. During the planning of the terrain archaeological survey, information from remote sensing data (satellite images and aerial photos) was used to define the areas without built-up lands or thick forests, waters bodies. In the second stage a preliminarily survey were conducted during which areas without vegetation cover were defined on which archeological surveys will be carried out. The terrain survey was conducted using preliminarily generated digital grid, which was applied for the first time in the investigation of the First Bulgarian capital - Pliska by the same team. A GNSS receiver with high accuracy is required for navigation according to the digital grid and for registration the discovered new potential archaeological objects, and as well as for detailed archaeological mapping.