The Application of Remote Sensing Technology in the Archaeological Study of the Segment of Grand Canal in Shandong Province

This paper reports the results of a research project on applying geospatial information technology to the protection of China´s Grand Canal. The canal is the longest man-made waterway in the world. The earliest section of the canal can be dated back to 500 BC. The course of the canal has been changed many times during its history mainly depending on the locations of China´s capitals. The current course of the canal was completed in 1291 running from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south. Its total length is 1200 miles. It is very difficu.lt to use conventional methods to conduct archaeological studies on the canal. This study focuses on the section of the canal near Nanwang township in Shandong province. The archaeological study of this research is based on the remote sensing technology with data from various sources such as ancient maps, historical documents, aerial photographs in 1950s, and recent remote sensing imageries. The results of this research are verified in the field.