Evaluating the Archaeological Efficacy of Bathymetric LiDAR across Oceanographic Contexts: A Case Study from Apalachee Bay, Florida

Abstract

This study presents preliminary results from recent bathymetric LiDAR-guided surveys of submerged archaeological landscapes in the Apalachee Bay off the coast of Florida. We show how bathymetric LiDAR can re-identify previously recorded archaeological sites and identify new cultural deposits at shallow depths and help aid SCUBA surveys of submerged environments. While most prior archaeological applications of bathymetric LiDAR have focused on shipwrecks and historic era sites, our case study demonstrates that bathymetric LiDAR is capable of detecting Holocene and Pleistocene era archaeological sites as well. Detecting and eventually characterizing these ancient deposits will greatly expand our understanding of settlement trends when sea levels were lower and may provide insights into how some of the earliest coastal populations adapted to this novel and changing environment. Our SCUBA surveys also elucidate the impact of local environmental conditions of the applicability of deploying bathymetric LiDAR; specifically, eel grass cover does not hinder LiDAR capabilities, while high rates of sedimentation greatly reduce success in identifying archaeological deposits. Overall, our results show promise in the future of applying remote sensing to study shallow submerged archaeological landscapes, which can help improve our understanding of human–environment dynamics prior to and during periods of sea level change.