Mining Pits at Písečný vrch

Mining Pits at Písečný vrch

Submitted by Mgr. Jan Fišer on
Subtitle
Pit Inventory for Recency Index Modelling at Písečný vrch, Bečov, Czech Republic
Creators and Contributors
Creator
Jan Fišer ; Czech University of Life Sciences Prague , Department of Spatial Sciences jan.fiser@uhk.cz
Petr Krištuf ; University of West Bohemia in Pilsen , Department of Archaeology pkristuf@ff.zcu.cz
Vojtěch Barták ; Czech University of Life Sciences Prague , Department of Spatial Sciences bartakv@fzp.czu.cz
Contributor
Supervisor: Vítězslav Moudrý ; Czech University of Life Sciences Prague , Department of Spatial Sciences moudry@fzp.czu.cz
Supervisor: Jan Kropacek ; Charles University , Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology kropacja@natur.cuni.cz
Publisher
Masaryk University
Description
Purpose and Context of Dataset Creation

This dataset was created to document pit-like mining relics at Písečný vrch near Bečov, Czech Republic. It contains an inventory of mapped features used for the non-destructive assessment of a complex mining palimpsest affected by prehistoric exploitation and recent extraction. The dataset supports Recency Index modelling, prioritisation of features for future archaeological verification, and heritage protection of the site.

Methods

The methodology combined systematic field survey, LiDAR-derived terrain analysis, historical aerial photograph interpretation and historical land-use reconstruction. All information was integrated at the level of individual mapped pits and used to support non-destructive Recency Index modelling based on a MaxEnt presence-background approach.

Dataset Contents and Structure
  • data_table_with_predictions.csv – Structured tabular dataset containing unique pit identifiers, derived attributes, model prediction values, associated evaluation metrics, and geographic coordinates for each mapped pit.
  • maxent_analysis.R – R script used to run the MaxEnt presence-background analysis on the input dataset, generate Recency Index predictions and calculate associated model evaluation metrics.
  • readme.csv – Documentation file describing the structure and content of the dataset. It includes the dataset title, coordinate reference system, definitions of all variables, explanations of Recency Index prediction and uncertainty metrics, and notes on data provenance and third-party data restrictions.
Technical Information

The dataset is provided as UTF-8 encoded CSV files with semicolon-separated values. Spatial coordinates are referenced in the S-JTSK / Krovak East North coordinate reference system (EPSG:5514). The accompanying analysis script, maxent_analysis.R, was written in R and contains the full Recency Index modelling workflow. It requires the R packages tidyverse, maxnet, pROC, patchwork, dotwhisker, car and corrr. The script uses data_table.csv as the input file and exports data_table_with_predictions.csv with Recency Index predictions, threshold-based classification, leave-one-out cross-validation predictions and bootstrap-derived uncertainty metrics.

The script also performs predictor preparation, multicollinearity assessment using Spearman correlations and VIF, AICc-based MaxEnt model tuning, model fitting, ROC/AUC evaluation, Youden Index thresholding, predictor importance analysis, response curve generation and prediction uncertainty assessment. A single random seed is set for reproducibility, and 500 bootstrap replicates are used for resampling-based uncertainty estimates. The script additionally produces supplementary outputs, including the AICc tuning table and figures used for model validation, predictor interpretation and uncertainty visualisation.

Airborne lidar data for the Písečný vrch area were collected in June and July 2024 using a Riegl VQ-1560 II-S system and are referenced to S-JTSK / Krovak East North (EPSG:5514), with an average point density of approximately 12 points/m². Ground-classified points provided by AERIMAP, s.r.o. were used to generate a 0.5 m DEM for surface relic interpretation and a secondary 10 m DEM, aggregated by binning interpolation in ArcGIS Pro, for comparison with the 1958 hDEM.

Research Questions

The dataset was created to address the following research questions: How are pit-like mining relics distributed across the Písečný vrch mining landscape? Which mapped pits can be independently associated with recent extraction? Which pits of undetermined age are less similar to confirmed recent mining features and therefore represent higher-priority candidates for future archaeological verification? How can field observations, LiDAR-derived terrain variables, historical aerial photographs and historical land-use information be integrated to support the non-destructive interpretation of a complex mining palimpsest?

Appropriate Reuse

The dataset is appropriate for reuse in archaeological spatial analysis, non-destructive prospection, heritage-management planning, methodological comparison and teaching. It can be used to examine mapped pit-like mining features at Písečný vrch, reproduce or evaluate the Recency Index modelling workflow, and support comparative studies of mining palimpsests and feature prioritisation. Reuse should acknowledge that the Recency Index is a relative decision-support measure, not a definitive chronological classification. The dataset contains derived tabular data only; raw aerial photographs, LiDAR point clouds and source cartographic data are not redistributed due to third-party rights.

Dataset limitations and inappropriate reuse

This dataset is not appropriate for definitive dating of individual pits or for confirming prehistoric origin without further archaeological verification. The Recency Index is a relative decision-support measure, not a substitute for excavation, direct dating or stratigraphic interpretation. The dataset is also not suitable for analyses requiring raw LiDAR point clouds, original aerial photographs, source cartographic data, high-resolution terrain modelling or precise volumetric reconstruction. Because it was created for object-level analysis of already mapped features at Písečný vrch, it should not be used directly for landscape-scale prediction of unknown archaeological sites without methodological adaptation.

Time Reference
Time Period
Palaeolithic
Neolithic
Neolithic
Bronze Age
Modern–Industrial Period
unspecified dating
Date Collected
2021
Date Created
2026-07-01
Publication year
2026
Subject

Keywords

Assessment Type
other expert analysis
Feature Type
mining feature
Dataset Language
English
License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Displaying dataset files 1 - 3 of 3
Name File size
readme.csv 5.1 KB
data_table_with_predictions.csv 140 bytes
maxent_analysis.R 7.33 KB

Dataset Preview

Name
maxent_analysis.R
Soubor
maxent_analysis.zip
Description

maxent_analysis – Folder containing the R analysis script and related outputs for the MaxEnt-based Recency Index modelling workflow. It includes materials used for model tuning, prediction, validation, Youden Index thresholding, leave-one-out cross-validation and bootstrap-based uncertainty assessment.

MIME type
application/zip
Media Use
Original File
Media of
Mining Pits at Písečný vrch
File size
7.33 KB