Satellite Archaeology
Digital technology is helping archaeologists take discovery to a whole new level. Satellites perched approximately 400 miles above earth are being used to collect images of possible archaeological sites that are hidden underneath the surface layer of earth. With the correct combination and processing of images, archaeologists can detect inconsistencies on the surface that are caused by the remains of structures, roads, and rivers covered by a foot or less of earth cover. They are then able to map out ancient cities, etc. with amazing precision prior to excavating the area.
Here is the National Geographic article from which I am sourcing this information: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/02/explore/satellite-archaeology
A university of Alabama archaeologist Sarah Parcak has been using the technology to scan the landscape of Egypt. In 2011 alone, along with her team Parcak uncovered as many as 17 possibly buried pyramids, about 3000 settlements, and close to 1000 tombs across the country. Discovery at that scale would have taken years, probably even centuries, longer without this technology. The ways in which this is useful to the humanities are countless. It is literally a method of glimpsing directly into the past of a place – saving us the wait of being on the ground excavating in order to map out a city.
Having it all laid out virtually, at your finger tips, makes it possible to understand a civilization further than ever before. It will save scholars time and money on lengthy searches for sites, and instead they can skip right to the excavation process – allowing us to uncover more about the past at a faster rate. As a student, such technology will make the information accessible to me. Rather than going to the site and exploring, which is clearly not always possible, there is a digital version available for exploration. Students in classes around the world can view the maps of ancient cities and gain the best understanding of the process of archaeological discovery and exploration.
courtneyfinamore 