Satellite Imagery Helps Uncover Lost PyramidsSatellite imagery is an exciting technology that has benefitted countless individuals and industries. However, as a true testament of the versatility of this technology, archaeologists recently used high resolution satellite imagery to discover 17 pyramids buried beneath layers of silt and sand in Egypt. This exciting new research also revealed upwards of 1,000 tombs and 3,000 other buildings dating back to the times of the Pharaohs. The effort was led by archaeologist Sarah Parcak of the Univesrity of Alabama, Birmingham, particularly since it provides Egyptologists and archaeologists with the opportunity to observe ancient Egyptian settlements without actually having to dig below the surface of the Earth. Making the Most of Infrared Technology This research was able to be conducted without actually performing any digs due to infrared high resolution satellite imagery obtained from both NASA and QuickBird satellites. Parcak analyzed data from the visible imagery and combined it with infrared and thermal parts of the light spectrum, taking note that the most informative images were taken during the wet weeks of late winter. At this time, the subterranean mud-brings absorbed more moisture than they did throughout the rest of the year, creating a chemical signature that showed up on the high resolution satellite imagery devices. The spots became “our hot spots, the places that we could end up exploring on fot,” Parcak says. Parcak’s team located 17 buried pyramid-shaped structures thanks to their research. The sighting was confirmed thanks to the help of a French archaeological team already digging at a site in Tanis, which is believed to be the capital of ancient Egypt. High resolution satellite imagery revealed a number of streets, residences, and mud-brick walls hidden below the earth, and so the French team excavated at a site based off the images Parcak’s team captured. “They found an almost 100% correlation between what we see on the imagery and what we see on the ground,” Parcak says. This provides necessary credibility to Parcak’s revolutionary research methods. What’s more, if archaeologists make the most of high resolution satellite imagery in the future, this could result in confirmed structures being identified before the excavation process even begins. With this progress in mind, the Egyptian government is in the process of developing a space-based archaeological monitoring system foundered on high resolution satellite imagery data. “Ancient sites are all over the place in Egypt,” says Peter Lacovara, an Egyptologist at the Michael C. Carlos Museum in Atlanta, “there’s just not enough time and money to monitor them on the ground.” Landiscor: Quality and Innovation Landiscor has been a leading aerial information leader since its inception in the 1950s. Our team is dedicated to providing GIS users with the best quality service and products by utilizing the latest technology available in aerial photography and satellite imaging. For more information about our products and services, contact us today! |
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