Nowadays, hardly anyone realizes that the quiet Straupe village, located on the banks of the Brasla River, 600 years ago was a thriving medieval town. Only a few buildings are still in place and remind of the “golden age” in Straupe. The rest of the visible evidence seemed to have gone with the wind until the summer of 2011 when the aerial survey of Straupe village was performed and well-preserved historical heritage was revealed.
1.image. Aerial photography of the central part of Straupe parish.
The Aim
To investigate and map the historical centre of Straupe by airborne remote sensing.
Our Role
IES planned and carried out an airborne survey of the Straupe historical centre. For precise mapping of the ground, vegetation and buildings, an aircraft equipped with the airborne surveillance and environmental monitoring system ARSENAL was used. Whilst traditional mapping of the area would take weeks or even months, by combining historian knowledge with ARSENAL’s technological capacity we achieved precise results in 30 seconds. A high resolution digital terrain model (DTM) and a surface model (DSM) were created from the airborne data and images.
2.image. Digital terrain model (DTM) of the centre of Straupe parish revealing a well-preserved medieval defence system
Results
In collaboration with the historians, the most significant objects of the medieval Straupe were identified and located, including – Lielstraupe castle, defense ditches and pond system, Brasla River, Straupe harbor, medieval roads and bridges in Straupe.
Project duration: 01.06.2012. – 01.07.2012.
Project financed by: Institute for Environmental Solutions
Project coordinator: Historian Mg.hist. Gundars Kalniņš
