Abstract
Coastal archaeology combines research in dierent environments: land surface, intertidal zone and sub-aquatic area. In consequence of the use of dierent archaeological methods for these dierent physical environments, there is a border between land and underwater zones. Archaeological topographic research is mainly con€ned to land surfaces and intertidal zones. is is unfortunate since knowledge of oshore underwater topography is essential to understand the organisation and distribution of sites on islands and coastal zones. Bridging the “border” between land and water in archaeological topographic research therefore requires the development of new archaeological documentation methods. e latest technique to combine terrestrial and underwater survey is Airborne Laser Bathymetry (ALB), which utilizes a green, water-penetrating laser and therefore can be applied for mapping surfaces under shallow water. Depending on the water clarity these systems can provide a detailed characterization of the underwater topography and even be used to prospect archaeological sites under shallow water. The presented paper will discuss the actual available ALB hardware and possibilities and limitations of the bathymetric sensor technique using sample data sets in Croatian case study areas in the northern Adriatic Sea. Maritime archaeological prospection is being tested in this area to provide high quality topographic mapping for later research questions regarding the rise and decline of settlements due to the changes in the shipbuilding, topography and navigational routes/natural harbours, and topography and harbour organisation.