One of the concerns that has come up a few times in our
discussions is how archaeologists are getting so excited about the new digital
technologies that they use them just for the sake of using them, rather than for a specific and relevant purpose. Thinking about
that, I just wanted to share one way in which digital technology is being used
very well in Egypt, one that could be very useful in other locations
as well. Dr. Sarah Parcak is an Egyptologist who uses satellites to locate archaeological sites in Egypt
and the Mediterranean.
Parcak takes high-resolution satellite images and examines
them for anomalies that might indicate the presence of sub-surface
remains in order to identify potential archaeological sites. The satellites use infrared to
visualize the changes to the landscape that occurred due to ancient
construction projects. Parcak explains
her work through the example of finding the lost ancient Egyptian city of
Itj-Tawy, in her 5 minute TEDtalk. Thus far, in addition to the lost city, Parcak’s team has
identified 17 previously unknown pyramids and 1000 tombs. The main goal of this work is to use satellite images to find previously
unknown or lost sites, in order to gain a better understanding of the location
of ancient sites, and also to create a record before they are
lost. The rapid expansion of modern Egyptian cities and towns is encroaching on known
archaeological sites, and is likely destroying many unknown sites. Using satellite imaging can help identify
sites that could hopefully be surveyed or mapped subsequently, or at least bring
them to the attention of archaeologists and local residents, so they can
potentially be preserved.
Dr. Parcak has been doing this work for several years, but
she recently uncovered an even more important use for this technology. Since
the Egyptian Revolution in 2011, she has been using satellite imagery to track
the widespread looting that is affecting sites in Egypt. She is
trying to get a sense of the scale and locations of the looting, and to help
the authorities know where to target. I
think that digital archaeology is one of the best ways to address this problem,
in a way that helps people to truly understand the scale of the issue. This is perfectly illustrated in these
images: The first being a picture of the site of South Dashur in early 2011,
where the main archaeological site is in the lower right hand corner, and the dark
spots indicate looting pits.
In the second image of the same site, taken in 2013, it is easy to see the massive increase in looting pits that have marked the entire area.
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Looting holes visible at South Dashur in 2011. Image by Sarah Parcak. National Geographic |
In the second image of the same site, taken in 2013, it is easy to see the massive increase in looting pits that have marked the entire area.
![]() |
Increased number of looting pits visible at South Dashur in 2013. Image by Sarah Parcak. National Geographic |
I think this work illustrates one very effective way to
incorporate digital technology into archaeological research and public
education in a way that is accessible to both experts and the general
public. It also has major implications
for the future of archaeology in Egypt and for the creation and enforcement of antiquities
laws in many countries. With the recent news about the destruction of objects
in the Mosul museum bringing the subject of looting and destruction of cultural
heritage into the public focus, it seems this technology could be very usefully
applied to tracking the looting in areas controlled by ISIS, which would have
implications within archaeology as well as world politics. I am interested in hearing other view on the
matter as well, what do you all think of this aspect of digital archaeology and
how it is being applied?