What if our ancient ancestors left behind more than just megalithic pyramids and temples? Using high technology, a group of archaeologists has found evidence of our past that has nothing to do with structures left behind – think footprints. A recent article in Nature reports on the finding…

 

 

Satellites expose 8,000 years of civilization

Archaeologists develop large-scale method to identify ancient human settlements.

 

by Virginia Gewin

 

Mounds of earth covering ancient human settlements, such as Tell Brak in northeastern Syria, can now be analysed remotely using satellite imagery.

 

Hidden in the landscape of the fertile crescent of the Middle East, scientists say, lurk overlooked networks of small settlements that hold vital clues to ancient civilizations.

 

Beyond the impressive mounds of earth, known as tells in Arabic, that mark lost cities, researchers have found a way to give archaeologists a broader perspective of the ancient landscape. By combining spy-satellite photos obtained in the 1960s with modern multispectral images and digital maps of Earth’s surface, the researchers have created a new method for mapping large-scale patterns of human settlement…

 

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