Why We Need Drones – An ACOR Video Lecture by Dr. Austin “Chad” Hill

The ACOR Video Lecture Series provides  accessible discussions of new research into the past and present of Jordan and the broader Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean worlds.  This sixth video in the series, adapted from the May 2016 ACOR public lecture delivered by Dr. Austin “Chad” Hill, opens with a general discussion of drone technology and then highlights its application within long-running archaeological projects in Jordan.

About the Lecture

In recent years, advances in technology, falling prices, and popular demand have contributed to a worldwide proliferation of drones and a corresponding increase in restrictions and laws limiting their use. Archaeologists have begun to incorporate drones as a critical research tool, along with 3D photogrammetry, for recording excavations and landscapes on a scale and resolution that had previously been impossible. This presentation will discuss results from two recent and ongoing drone survey projects in Jordan at Wadi al-Qattafi and Fifa. It will examine why drones are an important tool, and show how limits on their use hampers research.


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About the Lecturer

Chad with Drone
Chad with Drone

Austin (Chad) Hill is an ACOR-CAORC Senior Fellow and co-director of the Landscapes of the Dead Project. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. He specializes in the rapidly developing field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based surveying. He uses aerial photography and 3D photogrammetry to identify archaeological sites, document excavations, and visualize landscapes.

Read more about Dr. Hill and another ongoing research project with drone mapping in Jordan at https://experiment.com/projects/archaeology-drones-mapping-neolithic-structures-in-the-black-desert-jordan.

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