3D spatial morphological analysis of mound tombs based on LiDAR data

Mound tombs, popular in the south Yangzi River area in Shang and Zhou Dynasties, are regional cultural remains in China. With the aims of protecting and scientifically analysing cultural relics, laser scanning technology was adopted to study Zhaihuatou mound tombs located in Nonglin Village in Tianwang town, Jiangsu Province. Multiple tombs are held within one mound in good keep and with the typical construction of centripetalism. Accurate tomb LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) data were acquired by applying terrestrial laser scanning technology to the field mound excavation. Subsequently, a spatial morphological analysis of the tombs was conducted on the basis of archaeological rules and GIS spatial data processing methods. Using the theory of centripetalism construction of multi-tomb-one-mounds, we proposed an algorithm to determine the concentrated area of the geometric directions of tombs, and centripetalism theory was scientifically validated in comparing results with the excavation data. Spatial data clustering methods were used to analyse and deduce the spatial distribution characteristics of the tombs. We propose and demonstrate that the burial system is in the form of family-clan aggregation, and is useful for developing research on regional burials. Experimental data show that the proposed method is a novel example of how spatial analysis can foster more precise field archaeological excavations on a large scale, and it is significant to study various types of tombs, relics and ruins.