O. G. S. Crawford

Osbert Guy Stanhope Crawford was a British archaeologist who pioneered the use of aerial photography to identify and document archaeological sites.

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Aerial archaeology: The study of archaeological sites and landscapes using observations and images made from aircraft. Crawford helped establish this approach as a systematic archaeological method.
Royal Flying Corps: The British Army's air arm from 1912 until its merger into the Royal Air Force in 1918. Crawford served as an observer, gaining experience with aerial views and photography.
Sir Arthur Evans: A British archaeologist known for excavating the Bronze Age palace at Knossos on Crete. Evans employed Crawford on excavations in Crete early in his archaeological career.
Landscape archaeology: The study of how people shaped, used, and understood landscapes in the past. Crawford's aerial surveys encouraged archaeologists to interpret sites as parts of wider landscapes.
Aerial photography: The making of photographs from aircraft or other airborne platforms. Crawford used it to reveal archaeological traces invisible or difficult to see from the ground.
World War I aerial reconnaissance: The use of aircraft to observe and photograph enemy positions during World War I. Wartime reconnaissance helped demonstrate the archaeological potential of images taken from the air.
Royal Geographical Society: A British learned society that promotes geographical research, exploration, and education. Crawford edited its journal, bringing archaeological and geographical perspectives into contact.
Aerial photographic interpretation: The analysis of aerial photographs to identify features, patterns, and changes on the ground. Crawford helped establish archaeological interpretation of aerial images as a specialized practice.
Cropmark: A difference in crop growth that reveals buried archaeological features beneath the soil. Crawford recognized cropmarks in aerial photographs as evidence of buried sites.
Alexander Keiller: A Scottish archaeologist and businessman whose excavations and aerial photography documented prehistoric sites in Wessex. Keiller collaborated with Crawford on aerial photography and the book Wessex from the Air.