干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

The studied locality is situated close to the Deserted Castle, near the Zvolen city, in the central part of Slovakia. Locality called Drahy attracted us by various anthropogenic relief forms that are primarily related to significant medieval settlements. The object of our research is a system of hollow ways on the northern and eastern foothills of the mountain massif of the castle hill. The system of hollow ways belongs to the historic roads that are located in the forest landscape around the Deserted Castle. We mapped by GNSS about 50 km of historic roads in the field. Near the area covered with hollow ways is a defensive rampart with a ditch (7th-8th century AD). Problematic factor in the field measurement and evaluation of anthropogenic relief parameters is the position of the studied area in the forest landscape. The locality is covered with broad-leaved trees with high stand density and stands have compact canopy of tree crowns. Forest stands prevented researchers to have an overview in a broader perspective on the investigated territory in the fieldwork in comparison with non-forested areas. Materials of air digital photogrammetry (ADP) and remote sensing (RS) provide a comprehensive overview on landforms. The system of hollow ways in the forest landscape was identified by modern air contactless methods of large-scale mapping - airborne laser scanning (ALS) (Riegl LMS Q680i). Data were collected under the canopy of tree crowns at a density point clouds 5 points per m(2) and by air digital photogrammetry (Ultracam Xp) with a geometric resolution 10 cm. Then we determined the morphometric data of hollow ways and elaborated their longitudinal and transverse profiles. These results were confronted with the reference data obtained from the fieldwork. Results of the presented contactless methods were compared in terms of their application in the winter and summer vegetation aspects. On the example of representative profiles we compared the accuracy of contactless methods and we reconsidered possibility of measuring and evaluation of their quantitative parameters. Based on the results of mapping historical linear objects in the forest landscape, we expect a wider usability of modern air contactless methods (ALS and ADP) in archaeological research. These modern methods are suitable for data processing in larger territorial units. Previously, such a research was difficult in terms of the fieldwork done by terrestrial measurements, although it was carried out by modern geodetic methods and instruments (electronic tachymeter or GNSS).