Assessing Looting Holes by Using SAR Simulation

Abstract. Looting is one of the biggest threats to archaeology and cultural heritage and archaeologists had been struggling with this problem for decades. Help to deal with this threat, we carried out an experiment in Wuhan / China and created our own artifical looting holes by digging two holes and shaping them in different measurements while collecting TerraSAR-X images from the experiment area. Our study aims creating simulated SAR images of looting holes, in the light of the information we obtained from our experiment. Parameters of collected SAR images and 3D models of the artificial holes will be foundation of the work with SAR simulation. Since field work is money and time consuming duty, simulating SAR images of looting hole is advantageous and benefitial since we can play with the 3D models and change their geometry. In this study we obtain SAR simulation images by using our 3D models of the looting holes. By using simulation, we are able to change the geometry of the hole and even possible to implement natural effects to the 3D model which is effective on results. Thus, assessment of the looting holes will become much more simple work and it will help to protection of cultural heritage.