From topography to topophilia: why remote sensing data matters in archaeological and heritage research with Professor Chris Gaffney

Wednesday 27 April 2022 5:45pm – 7:15pm (online and in person)

Join us for our second Bradford Inaugural Lecture to celebrate Chris Gaffney’s promotion to the position of Professor.

Event Synopsis
Non-invasive archaeological investigation, and the visualisation of digital representations of the past have become significant ways to engage the public and to record our increasingly fragile heritage.

For over 35 years Chris has been investigating aspects of prospecting for understanding the past. In its broadest sense it is usually called ‘archaeological prospection’, and that phrase is inextricably linked to the University of Bradford.

In this lecture Chris will chart a journey that links the present-day ground surface to the investigation of prehistoric landscapes, Roman cities, Medieval abbeys and the heritage that is the product of the very recent past. He has worked with a diverse set of partners across the world and he will draw upon these collaborations in the lecture.

The narrative throughout the talk will chart the use of cutting-edge techniques to the interpretation of our fragmented past. At the heart of the lecture is a belief that the recording and interpretation of digital data can lead to profound understanding about why some places were so important in the past. From fieldwalking to imaging the heritage that is all around us, Chris will explore why the pursuit of the past using digital techniques matters.