we are using it actively for at least 2 decades already probably started with highway construction in the early 90-ties, but the quality has gone up and it is public accesible since cca 2010. It is not just for scientific study. Our whole country is covered, so i usually put in pictures from the area in the report where we dig or from the construction site we monitor. Similar to google earth explorers you can find a ton of stuff written in the landscape, especialy in the stony karst region. Combined with gis it can lead to brakethrough studies. Using digital models and gis is very old, and generations before me digitalised maps by hand. Now with drones and photogrametry you can make models fast.
The previous answer is really great. I would also add that cost has come down and access to it has gotten ever easier in the last decade. It’s still a special treat in places like the Maya forest, but more is being done all the time.
When did arcaheology start using lidar tech?
we are using it actively for at least 2 decades already probably started with highway construction in the early 90-ties, but the quality has gone up and it is public accesible since cca 2010. It is not just for scientific study. Our whole country is covered, so i usually put in pictures from the area in the report where we dig or from the construction site we monitor. Similar to google earth explorers you can find a ton of stuff written in the landscape, especialy in the stony karst region. Combined with gis it can lead to brakethrough studies. Using digital models and gis is very old, and generations before me digitalised maps by hand. Now with drones and photogrametry you can make models fast.
The previous answer is really great. I would also add that cost has come down and access to it has gotten ever easier in the last decade. It’s still a special treat in places like the Maya forest, but more is being done all the time.