Drone2Map for ArcGIS Helps Re-create Historic Native American Site<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":101652,"image_position":"right","orientation":"vertical","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"From AD 900 to 1200, a Native American population inhabited about 20 acres in Aztalan, Wisconsin, which lies 40 miles east of the current state capital of Madison. According to archaeologists who have studied the site, the village was well-planned with agriculture that included beans, corn, and squash and village life that involved organized ceremonies.\r\n\r\nMost of the village was encompassed by a wooden barrier, and there was a sizable plaza in the middle, demarcated by two platform mounds and a natural knoll. It is believed that at least some of the inhabitants of Aztalan were part of a bigger, more complex society\u2014the Mississippians\u2014that can be traced back to Illinois, near what is now St. Louis, Missouri. Not much else is known about the 500 or so people who inhabited Aztalan and their lifestyle, though the site, which is now located in Aztalan State Park, is one of Wisconsin's most important archaeological locations.\r\n\r\nTo dig into deeper layers of this Native American community's existence, archaeologists need new ways to document the excavation site. In the past, the mounds\u2014which may have served some religious purposes\u2014were reconstructed, and archaeological digs take place on occasion to unearth clues as to how and why the site was constructed. But to build a comprehensive map of the place and get a better idea of how the population might have lived, it was imperative to get aerial views of Aztalan.\r\n\r\nFor years, archaeologists have used regular photography and hand drawings to document full archaeological sites. To get a bird's-eye view, they have typically relied on cherry picker cranes and specially erected scaffolding. But with high-precision drones equipped with high-resolution cameras, getting overhead views of archaeological sites has become much easier. One aerial photograph rarely covers an entire site, however, so drone-supplied aerial photos need to be stitched together.\r\n\r\nDrone2Map for ArcGIS offered a great solution to this challenge. Working directly with ArcGIS, the app can quickly process a series of aerial photographs into orthomosaics and 3D textured meshes, which can then be used to create a realistic reconstruction of portions of the site as they looked originally. This was my goal for Aztalan."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":101662,"image_position":"left","orientation":"vertical","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"