Landscapes of production and punishment: LiDAR and the process of feature identification and analysis at a Tasmanian convict station

LiDAR technology significantly enhances the identification and analysis of archaeological features, offering unprecedented insights into historical landscapes. This study demonstrates its efficacy in repopulating convict labor landscapes with people and processes, particularly within Australian bush settings. By integrating LiDAR from the outset, researchers uncovered detailed spatial patterns at the Cascades probation station (1842–1855), revealing how convicts interacted with their environment during the 19th century. The findings underscore LiDAR's potential to transform historical archaeology in Australia, providing a more nuanced understanding of past labor and punishment systems.

Tuffin, R., Roe, D., Gibbs, M., Clark, D., & Clark, M. (2020). Landscapes of production and punishment: LiDAR and the process of feature identification and analysis at a Tasmanian convict station. Australian Archaeology, 86(1), 37–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/03122417.2020.1749406