Session 1: Multimethod archaeological site prospection
Keynote speaker: to be announced
- Case studies of integrated multimethod prospection
- Settlement/site focus
- Archaeological feedback from excavations
This session focuses on the application of integrated multimethod prospection techniques in archaeology. Emphasis will be placed on case studies in which understanding of archaeological sites is enhanced by combining multiple prospection methods. Specific attention will go to settlement and site-specific investigations that highlight the advantages of combining complementary invasive and non-invasive approaches. This way, the session aims to show the importance of feedback, and demonstrate how prospection results can help refine field strategies and excavation methodologies and vice-versa.
Session 2: Environmental studies and (palaeo-)landscape mapping
Keynote speaker: to be announced
- Palaeolandscapes, buried landscapes
- Landscape archaeology
- Prospection & environmental archaeology
- Underwater landscapes
- ‘Off-site’/non-settlement archaeology?
This session explores the intersection of landscape archaeological studies and archaeological prospection, emphasizing the reconstruction of various (palaeo)landscapes, both buried and submerged . We aim to incorporate exploration of non-settlement or ‘off-site’ archaeology, and broadening the scope of prospection to areas beyond traditional settlement areas. Contributions that focus on the broader environmental context of archaeological sites are particularly welcomed. With this session, we aim target discussions on the contribution of prospection to environmental and landscape archaeology.
Session 3: Soils and geochemistry
Keynote speaker: to be announced
- Soils & geophysics
- Geochemistry
- Pedology & archaeological prospection
In this session, we welcome methodological contributions that lie at the intersection of soil science and archaeology. Hereby, focus can be on advancements in archaeological applications of geochemical exploration, petrophysical modelling, or investigations of soil-specific spectral properties that influence remote sensing data. In addition, we encourage presentations with a geoarchaeological dimension, that demonstrate the practical interaction between soil science and archaeology, with emphasis on the study of (former) soils and soil genetic processes and their relevance for archaeological prospection applications.
Session 4: New methods and innovations in field prospection
Keynote speaker: to be announced
- New field methods
- Hardware development
- Survey strategies
This session is dedicated to the latest methods and innovations in field applications of archaeological prospection. Speakers are invited to present new field methods and instruments that enhance the efficiency and accuracy of archaeological surveys. Discussions will include recent developments in hardware technology, and the integration of different sensors and survey platforms. Alongside emphasis on hardware, the sessions aims to address the adaptive survey strategies required for deploying novel field setups.
Session 5: Data processing and geospatial analysis
Keynote speaker: to be announced
- Data improvement
- Visualisation
- Forward modelling
- Inversion
- Spatial analysis
This session focuses on the various ways in which archaeological prospection data can be processed, analysed, improved, and visualized. All presentations dealing with advances in techniques and software to address these issues are welcomed. Welcomed topics include data fusion (ways to integrate multi-scale and multi-source data), forward and inverse modelling, and geostatistical approaches that aim at improving the archaeological value of prospection datasets.
Session 6: Automated data interpretation and classification
Keynote speaker: to be announced
- Classification
- Segmentation
- Artificial Intelligence & machine learning
This session focusses on the use of automated methods for the interpretation and classification of archaeological prospection data. Topics will include advanced classification and segmentation techniques that facilitate the identification of archaeological features, as well as ways of characterising and mediating the uncertainty often inherent to such approaches. Presentations are welcomed that address the integration of (semi-)automated interpretation methods, as well as the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in archaeological prospection, showcasing cutting-edge research and developments in automated archaeological sensing data analysis.
Session 7: Archaeological resource management & societal valorization
Keynote speaker: to be announced
- Development-led prospection
- Management of archaeological prospection data
- Protection & monitoring of archaeological sites
- Community archaeological prospection
- From prospection to heritage tourism
- Archaeological prospection & countermapping
This final session addresses the management, use, and valorisation of archaeological resources as obtained through archaeological prospection. Focus lies on development-led archaeology and the scheduling, preserving and monitoring of archaeological sites, as well as on academic research aimed at optimised management of buried heritage. Hereby, we specifically welcome contributions on sustainable management and archiving of archaeological prospection datasets. Furthermore, attention is geared towards the societal benefits of prospection data, emphasizing their role in community engagement and heritage tourism. This includes community-led archaeological prospection initiatives, and the use of prospection data in countermapping efforts. Within these two themes, discussions ideally highlight innovative approaches to sustainable (digital and tangible) resource management and public engagement.