Case Study: Brigham Young University maps Paquimé with Pix4D drone mapping

Mapping the ancient city of Paquimé with drones

Brigham Young University worked with Pix4D to update the mapping of Paquimé, a prehistoric archaeological site in Mexico that had not been comprehensively mapped since the 1950s. The team needed an accurate, modern, and georeferenced map to support archaeological research and identify future excavation locations.

Using Pix4Dmapper and drone imagery, Scott Ure’s BYU team flew a Trimble Gatewing X100 over the 0.8 km² site and captured 422 images at 5.7 cm GSD. Pix4D helped produce an orthomosaic, DSM slope model, and contour data that were digitized into a topographic map, resulting in the first comprehensive georeferenced map of Paquimé with all architectural features included.

Brigham Young University