Archaeology has made significant advances in the last 20 years. This can be seen by the remarkable increase in specialised literature on all archaeology-related disciplines. These advances have made it a science with links to many other sciences, both in the field of experimental sciences and in the use of techniques from other disciplines such as engineering. Within this last issue it is important to highlight the great advance that the use of photogrammetry has brought for archaeology. In this research, through a systematic study with bibliometric techniques, the main institutions and countries that are carrying them out and the main interests of the scientific community in archaeology related to photogrammetry have been identified. The main increase in this field has been observed since 2010, especially the contribution of UAVs that have reduced the cost of photogrammetric flights for reduced areas. The main lines of research in photogrammetry applied to archaeology are close-range photogrammetry, aerial photogrammetry (UAV), cultural heritage, excavation, cameras, GPS, laser scan, and virtual reconstruction including 3D printing.

The discovery of a Roman mosaic from the 2nd century AD in Cantillana (Seville) generated interest and the need for exhaustive documentation, so that it could be recreated with real measurements in a 3D model, not only to obtain an exact replica, but with the intention of analyzing and studying the behavior of two main geomatics techniques. Thus, the objective of this study was the comparative analysis of both techniques: near object photogrammetry by SfM and terrestrial laser scanner or TLS. The aim of this comparison was to assess the use of both techniques in archaeological excavations. Special attention was paid to the accuracy and precision of measurements and models, especially in altimetry. Mosaics are frequently relocated from their original location to be exhibited in museums or for restoration work, after which they are returned to their original place. Therefore, the altimetric situation is of special relevance. To analyze the accuracy and errors of each technique, a total station was used to establish the real values of the ground control points (GCP) on which the comparisons of both methods were to be made. It can be concluded that the SfM technique was the most accurate and least limiting for use in semi-buried archaeological excavations. This manuscript opens new perspectives for the use of SfM-based photogrammetry in archaeological excavations.

The accurate assessment of tree crowns is important for agriculture, for example, to adjust spraying rates, to adjust irrigation rates or even to estimate biomass. Among the available methodologies, there are the traditional methods that estimate with a three-dimensional approximation figure, the HDS (High Definition Survey), or TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanning) based on LiDAR technology, the aerial photogrammetry that has re-emerged with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as they are considered low cost. There are situations where either the cost or location does not allow for modern methods and prices such as HDS or the use of UAVs. This study proposes, as an alternative methodology, the evaluation of images extracted from Google Maps (GM) for the calculation of tree crown volume. For this purpose, measurements were taken on orange trees in the south of Spain using the four methods mentioned above to evaluate the suitability, accuracy, and limitations of GM. Using the HDS method as a reference, the photogrammetric method with UAV images has shown an average error of 10%, GM has obtained approximately 50%, while the traditional methods, in our case considering ellipsoids, have obtained 100% error. Therefore, the results with GM are encouraging and open new perspectives for the estimation of tree crown volumes at low cost compared to HDS, and without geographical flight restrictions like those of UAVs.

The cloister from the old monastery of San Francisco (Cazalla de la Sierra, Seville) has been suffering a series of remodeling transformations from its original construction in the 16th century to the current day. Thus, a study of building archaeology needed to be accomplished by using photogrammetric techniques by SfM (Structure from Motion) and laser scanning or TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanning), which ensure the geometric exactitude and high resolution of the facings surveying. For that, over 500 images were taken for the 4 existing facings (about 78 lineal meters) from which a photogrammetric model was obtained of over 50 million polygons, as well as a cloud of over 40 million points from the laser scanning. It can be concluded that by using the techniques of SfM, the task of documenting, analyzing and studying the facings of the historical building in order to establish its evolutional process gains not only precision and exactitude but also opens the possibility to go further by obtaining products that are capable of helping us conserve, restore and protect the historical heritage, as well as generate the 3D virtualizations planned for the diffusion.

The significant demand for highly updated geospatial or cartographic information surpasses the capacity of the official agencies responsible for its generation. The procedure for updating official cartography, in some Spanish regions, can take more than three or 4 years. This long process depends to a large extent on the national planning of aerial flights, but also on actions linked to the updates of changes in their geodatabases. There are alternative non‐cartographic sources of geoinformation that can locate these variations more quickly than waiting for triannual orthophoto generation and reduce these times. This article focusses on a potential option derived from the location of users connections to a regional differential position corrections transmission system in Andalusia (Spain) used by surveyors. Three data selection studies are presented to evaluate this source for the detection of new or altered construction, covering the period 2008–2016. The results show a 95% success rate for new developments, 87% for new linear public works, and 72% for new urban services or facilities, validating its potential usefulness for updating cartography. The main advantages of this source lie in the speed of detection of an area under construction and in the definition of a preliminary boundary. The analysis of temporal statistics from this source, filtered by construction activities, can also be useful in targeting and prioritizing the mapping planning of public agencies and improving the effectiveness of false positive image‐to‐image change detection, reducing the time to update the official cartography.