AERIAL ARCHAEOLOGY
This site has been set up to collect aerial video and photography of any site of archaeological significance. We are currently focussed on Hill Forts in the UK, but will collect and display all submitted material if it broadly fits the description of ‘archaeologically significant’.
Currently we just have content from the UK, but we will set up an archive for your country as soon as we receive your photography/footage.
The vision is to collect spectacular aerial footage of archaeological sites from around the world and make it available online for anyone to explore. Can you help?
Do you have a UAV (or other means of filming from the air) and some interest in human history? If so, we would welcome your contributions of aerial video and photography from your local historic sites.
Just use the form below to get in touch and we will respond as soon as possible. All comments and suggestions welcome!
If you’d like to contribute to this project, or have a suggestion to improve the site and content, please use the form below:
BTW: This project is not funded and all contributions are voluntary.
Are you in the UK?
If you are in the UK and looking for a Hill Fort near you, then try this new interactive map developed by Archaeologists at Oxford University. There are 4,147 hill forts shown on their map, so there is bound to be at least one within reach.
Hill Forts are fantastic sites to visit. Often, they are in remote, countryside locations and, by definition, they are usually found on the tallest hills with amazing views! You can usually take the family/dog/picnic and record some great aerial footage for Airchaeology.org at the same time 🙂 Just be aware that they often have grazing animals and if on private land, then please ask for permission.
Even is history isn’t your thing, there are plenty of reasons to contribute.
5 reasons to get involved:
1) Fly with a purpose – you’ve invested in some advanced technology and have acquired the skills to use it. This is your chance to put them to good use. Your contribution will available for anyone to see and you might even uncover important features that no one has noticed before.
2) Get off the beaten track – Contributing to this project will certainly take you to places you haven’t been to before. Close to home, or on holiday, check out the local sites and send us your footage.
3) Any time of year – If it’s not too windy, then you can record great video at any time of the year. In fact, a clear day in winter is often better than summer because there are less leaves on the trees and you can get a better view of any ground features. Fingerless mittens recommended!
4) Get fitter –Hill forts were never designed to be very accessible! So, unless you have a helicopter, you’re going to be walking up some steep slopes. This is fantastic exercise for legs and lungs, plus you get fresh air and great views!
5) Learn something new – Most people have no idea there is a Hill Fort nearby and are amazed to discover that people were living there 10,000 years ago. Some forts have interesting stories to tell, others require a some imagination. Either way, visiting Hill Forts will open your mind to a new way of thinking about the countryside that surrounds you.
Contribute your time and flying skills and help to build an amazing resource for the public and archaeologists alike.
This is a ‘citizen science’ project and as such no one is excluded from sending in their contributions. There are more than 4,000 Hill Forts in the UK so we need a lot of help! Check out the Hill Forts nearest you and send us your footage.