Department of Archaeology

Aerial Photography and conflict archaeology (2004-present)

Detailed and large scale study of WW I aerial photography at Ghent University as a starting point for modern conflict archaeology

The Great War seen from the air
The Great War seen from the air
During the First World War, thousands of aerial reconnaissance pictures were shot by the different fighting parties above the front lines and hinterland. Aerial photography was a new discipline at the beginning of the war, but quickly developed to one of the major forms of reconnaissance; from early 1915 onwards, images were collected on a massive scale.

These photographs partly survived in archives worldwide, and form the basis of historical and archaeological research at our department. The photographs now form an important source for the study of material remains of the Great War and for the management of this very special heritage.

Contact

Dr. Birger Stichelbaut

Dr. Wouter Gheyle

Yannick Van Hollebeeke

Prof. dr. Jean Bourgeois

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