1 INTRODUCTION The practice of using remote sensing techniques for visualising archaeological sites and landscapes has traditionally been based on low altitude aerial photography using film sensitive at optical and sometimes near infrared wavelengths. In the 1920s O.S.G. Crawford, the archaeological officer of the British Ordnance Survey, demonstrated that archaeological structures could be delineated from shadow, soil and crop markings on panchromatic aerial photography (Crawford 1923, 1928, 1929, Crawford and Keiller 1928). Since that time, both oblique and vertical aerial photography have been used ex- tensively for archaeological reconnaissance and mapping all over the world. Among the very first practitioners of aerial archaeology were Crawford and Allen, who undertook extensive surveys in Britain and the Middle East, and the Frenchman Antoine Poidebard who surveyed a large part of Syria. These pioneers helped to refine the instruments and establish methods that are still in use today. Crawford in particular established methods of site classification and wrote about the effects of weather, season, soil moisture and crop type on photographic return (Crawford 1923, 1928, 1929). Poidebard undertook experiments to evaluate the influence of photographic scale, illumination effects and in- frared film as he surveyed hundreds of miles of Syrian desert landscape (Poidebard 1929, 1934). Today, aerial photography is accepted as a cost-effective, non-invasive technique for the reconnaissance and survey of monuments. Interpretation is guided by classification schemes that distinguish between description and interpretation of ob- served features (Edis et al. 1989). However, remote sensing should not be seen just as The use of remote sensing data for visualising and interpreting archaeological landscapes D. Donoghue, A. Beck, N. Galiatsatos & K. McManus Department of Geography, University of Durham, Durham, UK G. Philip Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, Durham, UK ABSTRACT: Remote sensing is a well established technique that has been employed in archaeological research for nearly a century. Until recently the technique was limited to site specific aerial photography focused solely in the visual and near infra-red compon- ents of the electromagnetic spectrum. Improvements in sensor technology mean that ar- chaeologists can exploit remotely sensed imagery from different electromagnetic wavelengths and platforms. This has the potential to increase the area of study and ex- tend the window of opportunity when archaeological residues can be detected. This pa- per examines the fitness for purpose of modern remote sensing techniques for archae- ological research from both aerial and satellite platforms. Examples are cited from European and Middle Eastern contexts.