Digital survey of the Cliff-Burial sites with consumer-level UAV photogrammetry: a case study of Mt. Wuyi.

The cliff-burial was an ancient funerary ritual once popular in the Far East, in which the dead were buried high on the cliffs overlooking rivers in the log coffins (the “hanging coffins”) left in the natural caves, excavated grottoes, or on some woodpiles. Hence, the conventional 3D survey means is less practical. This study explores the possibility of using UAV (consumer–level drones) in the survey with substantial improvement in accuracy, range and flight control, and compares the accuracy effects of different measurement methods.