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The fixed-wing (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) differs from classic drones in its ability to photograph a large area of ​​the landscape in just one flight. It is suitable for searching and mapping archaeological sites in a wider landscape context. The device is an ideal tool for teaching so-called aerial archaeology, which forms an integral part of the research activities of doctoral students within doctoral study programs focused on spatial data and field documentation of archaeological research.

Aerial archeology searches for and documents archaeological situations from the air using several different methods. Among the most frequently used in the Czech Republic is the evaluation of so-called vegetational signs, where archaeological objects located underground can be made visible on the surface using vegetation (most often grain) in a different vegetational phase. The presence and extent of archaeological objects can also be documented based on the temperature of the fills of archaeological objects and buried remains of structures, which may, under suitable conditions, be different from the temperature of the surrounding terrain.

In recent years, the use of quadrocopters has been added to the commonly used high-wing airplanes, from the decks of which especially vegetational symptoms were documented in the past. These have become very common in archeology and are also used to obtain documentation during archaeological excavations. Compared to commonly used quadcopters, the newly acquired fixed-wing can stay in the air for a significantly longer time, enabling a wider coverage and analysis of larger landscape sections.

Thanks to several replaceable sensors, the new fixed-wing will enable complex exploration and documentation activities based on the principles described above. In addition to regular photos, the drone can take pictures with a thermal camera and a photogrammetric camera. The data obtained during one trip to the field can thus be used to completely map large areas using overlapping photographic images, which can then be used to create aerial orthophotos (Vertical Imaging) or 3D models of the documented landscape. In addition, it will be possible to supplement this data with images from a thermal camera, which can reveal other - hitherto unsuspected and unobservable to the human eye - evidence of the activities of past populations in the landscape.

For archeology students at the University of West Bohemia, purchasing a wing is a valuable opportunity to get to know and learn to work with the most modern equipment and methods in aerial archaeology.

The equipment was purchased as part of the PhD Infra ZČU (CZ.02.01.01/00/22_012/0005200).