Lidar Roman Camp Discovery Reveals Hidden 2nd-Century Site
Lidar Roman Camp Discovery Reveals Hidden 2nd-Century Site
A recent lidar roman camp discovery in the Netherlands has revealed a rare 2nd-century military site 15 miles beyond the Empire’s known northern frontier. Using high-resolution lidar data, archaeologists mapped subtle terrain features, including defensive ditches and ramparts, shedding new light on Roman military expansion.
This 22-acre temporary site will be helpful for understanding the ancient Empire’s reach, which remained hidden beneath the Veluwe’s terrain for two millennia.
An archaeology student’s computer model, which calculated Roman travel routes and looked for the characteristic “playing card-shaped” fortifications, used high-resolution elevation data to pinpoint the exact location.
Lidar’s precise laser pulses penetrated the forest canopy to map subtle, barely visible terrain variations such as the ghost outlines of the defensive ditch and three-meter-wide rampart. This application of 3D terrain mapping is helping us learn more about history, proving that the Roman Empire’s military operations extended far beyond their officially recognized borders.
Written by Adam Clark. Adam has spent the past 13 years exploring the world from above by using drones, satellites, and mapping tools to better understand our landscapes. Connect with him on LinkedIn: Adam Clark
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