Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS), or lidar, is an enormously important innovation for data collection and interpretation in archaeology. The application of archaeological 3D data deriving from sources including ALS, close-range photogrammetry and terrestrial and photogrammetric scanners has grown exponentially over the last decade. Such data present numerous possibilities and challenges, from ensuring that applications remain archaeologically relevant, to developing practices that integrate the manipulation and interrogation of complex digital datasets with the skills of archaeological observation and interpretation. This volume addresses the implications of multi-scaled topographic data for contemporary archaeological practice in a rapidly developing field, drawing on examples of ongoing projects and reflections on best practice.Twenty papers from across Europe explore the implications of these digital 3D datasets for the recording and interpretation of archaeological topography, whether at the landscape, site or artefact scale. The papers illustrate the variety of ways in which we engage with archaeological topography through 3D data, from discussions of its role in landscape archaeology, to issues of context and integration, and to the methodological challenges of processing, visualisation and manipulation. Critical reflection on developing practice and implications for cultural resource management and research contextualize the case studies and applications, illustrating the diverse and evolving roles played by multi-scalar topographic data in contemporary archaeology.

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Disclaimer
• Foreword
• Contents
• List of Contributors
• Acknowledgements
• 1 Interpreting archaeological topography: lasers, 3D data, observation, visualisation and applications
• 2 An overview of airborne and terrestrial laser scanning in archaeology
• 3 Airborne laser scanning and archaeological interpretation - bringing back the people
• 4 Cultivating the 'wilderness' - how lidar can improve archaeological landscape understanding
• 5 I Walked, I Saw, I Surveyed, but what did I see?...and what did I survey?
• 6 Reading aerial images
• 7 Messy landscapes: lidar and the practices of landscaping
• 8 Visualizations of lidar derived relief models
• 9 Worth a thousand words - Photogrammetry for archaeological 3D surveying
• 10 From lidar to LSCM: micro-topographies of archaeological finds
• 11 Using lidar data - drawing on 10 year?s experience at English Heritage
• 12 Lidar and World Heritage Sites in Ireland: Why was such a rich data source gathered, how is it being utilised, and what lessons have been learned?
• 13 The role of lidar intensity data in interpreting environmental and cultural archaeological landscapes
• 14 The changing picture of archaeological landscapes: lidar prospection over very large areas as part of a cultural heritage strategy
• 15 Lidar in Mediterranean agricultural landscapes: reassessing land use in the Mauguio
• 16 Using lidar as part of a multi-sensor approach to archaeological survey and interpretation
• 17 Remotely acquired, not remotely sensed: using lidar as a field survey tool
• 18 Lidar survey in the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site
• 19 Immersive visualisation of survey and laser scanning: the case for using computer game engines
• 20 The practice of collaboration
• Appendix: Key technical terms