Detectability of Looting Holes in Very High‐Resolution SAR Images

ABSTRACT Looting of archaeological sites poses a critical threat to cultural heritage, causing irreversible loss of archaeological context and information. Remote sensing has been proven useful in monitoring such damage, but detecting small‐scale looting remains a significant challenge. The early phase of site destruction when small holes appear is often a crucial warning sign, which allows intervention. This study investigates the potential of very high‐resolution TerraSAR‐X satellite imagery (with an approximate spatial resolution of ~1.0 m in ground range and 0.23 m in azimuth) to identify small holes connected to emerging looting attempts. We establish a controlled experimental methodology to systematically investigate the physical and environmental factors governing detectability, and validate these findings using real‐world looting signatures from the ancient city of Zeugma. The results establish a practical detection threshold and show the critical influence of spoil heap positioning in detectability. This study confirms the potential of SAR to monitor small‐scale looting holes and provides crucial operational parameters and constraints for developing effective monitoring protocols.