Cultural Heritage Protection – International Experts meet again at EOC
In mid-July more than 30 international researchers from 5 European countries gathered at DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen for a second edition of the Summer school on Cultural Heritage. During three days experts in archaeology, stakeholders from government authorities, and academic as well as corporate remote sensing specialists discussed how to most efficiently guard our cultural legacy in the face of natural and anthropic risks.
In the scientific presentations, the participants shared their experiences regarding how and where remote sensing techniques are already being used today. For example, researchers use radar imagery to monitor the stability of the Inca fortress Machu Picchu, use optical satellite images to detect looting of archaeological sites, or artificial intelligence to scan entire landscapes for relics. In a practical tutorial, each participant had the opportunity to take part in the discovery of underground Roman structures in Serbia by experimenting with various visualizations of infrared data overlaid on optical images.
To close the workshop, a tour to Augsburg made all witness the UNESCO World Heritage “Water Management System”. The workshop was sponsored by the Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake (FPCUP) and marked the 5th event of this kind. FPCUP brings focus on the utility of satellite data from the Copernicus satellite missions for real-world applications. The workshop participants currently invest into forming an interest group to disseminate the results of the Horizon Europe project TRIQUETRA to potential industry partners.
EOC is looking forward to continue this cooperation, as our scientists excel at observing and monitoring from space, but need to understand the needs of archaeologists and other experts in the field to fully exploit the potential of EO data in Cultural Heritage protection.