Heritage Quest

In this project we investigate the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, a heavily forested region in the Netherlands. Over the course of 2019, Heritage Quest has investigated the Veluwe with spectacular results (see section on results). The Veluwe and the Utrechtse Heuvelrug are similar in many respects. Archaeologically, both regions are famous for the large number of burial mounds. However, the dense forest cover undoubtedly hides many more. By jointly inspecting the c. 400 km2 of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug we are certain that many unknown archaeological remains will be discovered. These new discoveries will inform us about the past societies that left them and they will be added to the national database of known archaeological features and as such protected for posterity.

The first phase of this project is now completed, and the results can be found here: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/evakap/heritage-quest/about/results 

Aim

The aim of this project is to find archaeological remains hidden under dense vegetation cover, especially prehistoric burial mounds and field systems. In recent years high-resolution elevation maps created with a technique called LiDAR have become widely available. The big advantage compared to many other measurement techniques is that LiDAR is not hampered by the presence of vegetation. This allows the investigation of areas in which archaeological remains are currently obscured by forest cover or other types of vegetation.

How to participate

This project is hosted on the Zooniverse, so please start by going to https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/evakap/heritage-quest What am I asked to do? We ask you to mark all traces of burial mounds, Celtic fields and cart tracks you can see on the elevation map. How do I know what to search for? On the right hand side of your screen you can find a 'Field guide' with explanation on how to recognize the archaeological features we ask you to classify, an introduction into what they represent and information on what type of remains can also be encountered when searching the maps. How do I get in contact with team members? If you leave a message in one of the discussions boards of the Talk we will respond as soon as possible. I think I have spotted something extraordinary/strange? What should I do? If you post it in the discussion board of the Talk section (Interesting discoveries! or What do we see?) we can jointly, i.e. team members and volunteers, attempt to figure out what your discovery exactly represents. How do I change the layout of the maps? You can change screen layout from two maps next to each other to one larger map that automatically changes from one map to the other by clicking on the icon on the left side below the maps (toggle flip book mode).

Needed equipment

Computer with internet.

Keywords

Science Topics

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Participation tasks

Coordinator

Leiden University

Academic

Location