This paper presents experimentation carried out at the Roman Republican city of La Caridad (Teruel, Spain), where different tools have been applied to obtain multispectral and thermal aerial images to enhance detection of archaeological cropmarks. Two different drone systems were used: a Mikrokopter designed by Tecnitop SA (Zaragoza, Spain) and an eBee produced by SenseFly Company (Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland). Thus, in this study, we have combined in-house manufacturing with commercial products. Six drone sensors were tested and compared in terms of their ability to identify buried remains in archaeological settlements by means of visual recognition. The sensors have different spectral ranges and spatial resolutions. This paper compares the images captured with different spectral range sensors to test the potential of this technology for archaeological benefits. The method used for the comparison of the tools has been based on direct visual inspection, as in traditional aerial archaeology. Through interpretation of the resulting data, our aim has been to determine which drones and sensors obtained the best results in the visualization of archaeological cropmarks. The experiment in La Caridad therefore demonstrates the benefit of using drones with different sensors to monitor archaeological cropmarks for a more cost-effective assessment, best spatial resolution and digital recording of buried archaeological remains.

This report details the preliminary results of the research focused on Roman archaeological heritage in the Middle Ebro Valley (Spain). The principal objective of this project was to obtain several different readings by means of a UAV equipped with different sensors. Firstly, it has been possible to obtain accurate maps, 3D models and digital elevation models of the site. Secondly, it has been possible to investigate and define archaeological remains still underground, via a new methodology which utilises visible and near-infrared wavelengths.

The Cave of Altamira (Spain), a UNESCO World Heritage site, contains one of the most fragile and inaccessible Paleolithic rock-art environments in Europe, where geomatics documentation is constrained not only by severe spatial, lighting and safety limitations but also by conservation-driven restrictions on time, access and operational procedures. This study applies a confined-space UAV equipped with LiDAR-based SLAM navigation to document and assess the stability of the vertical rock wall leading to “La Hoya” Hall, a structurally sensitive sector of the cave. Twelve autonomous and assisted flights were conducted, generating dense LiDAR point clouds and video sequences processed through videogrammetry to produce high-resolution 3D meshes. A Mask R-CNN deep learning model was trained on manually segmented images to explore automated crack detection under variable illumination and viewing conditions. The results reveal active fractures, overhanging blocks and sediment accumulations located on inaccessible ledges, demonstrating the capacity of UAV-SLAM workflows to overcome the limitations of traditional surveys in confined subterranean environments. All datasets were integrated into the DiGHER digital twin platform, enabling traceable storage, multitemporal comparison, and collaborative annotation. Overall, the study demonstrates the feasibility of combining UAV-based SLAM mapping, videogrammetry and deep learning segmentation as a reproducible baseline workflow to inform preventive conservation and future multitemporal monitoring in Paleolithic caves and similarly constrained cultural heritage contexts.

This paper presents the preliminary results obtained during the 3D recording campaign carried out in 2018 by the Spanish-Uzbek IPAEB mission in the archaeological site of Termez (southern border of Uzbekistan). Ancient Termez is an important historical city within the Silk Road located in the ancient Bactria region. The archaeological work performed at the site since the beginning of the 20^th century allowed a large fortified urban complex to be identified that includes other walled enclosures inside it, i.e., a Hellenistic- Seleucid fortress founded after the campaigns of Alexander the Great in the late 4^th century BC, several Buddhist monastic complexes dated to the Kushan period (1^st to mid-3^rd centuries), and a large urban settlement dated to the Islamic period which includes the city proper or shahristan and the suburbs or rabad. After the destruction by Genghis Khan in 1220, Termez was rebuilt following a different plan. Major changes involved the movement of the pottery workshops from the rabad to the previous shahristan. The research focuses on: a) the identification, study and archaeological contextualization of ceramic production centres located in different areas of the ancient Termez from the Kushan to the Islamic period (1st to 14th centuries AD); b) the integration of the pottery workshops into the general topography of the site and c) the study of their evolution in relation to the transformation of the urban design. Since the site is currently located in a military area – close to the border area between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan –, the archaeological work is restricted to specific zones and the use of aerial devices such as drones is forbidden. However, this research requires both micro and macro spatial approaches to accurately record all the archaeological structures and to evaluate the integration and evolution of the pottery workshops into the general topography of the city. In order to fill this gap, declassified images of the CORONA satellite program were analyzed and compared to historical and archaeological data. In addition, we propose a geometrical and graphical recording and distribution system of the kilns – located in the rabad and the shahristan – and the ceramics produced and used in Termez during the period studied by means of photogrammetric techniques. The results are aimed at management through open-source 3D formats and web mapping GIS libraries combined with historical satellite information that defines the different archaeological areas.