LiDAR digitally removed the forest canopy revealing ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal – Image Credit : Wild Blue Media Its accuracy in detecting hidden features has proven effective, particularly in Central America and South-East Asia, where entire Maya and Khmer settlements have emerged beneath the tropical canopy (challenging the existing theories on how the two civilisations developed, dominated the regions and declined- with the role of climate change and resources management at its core). The tool relies on laser sensors that can be deployed from air (typically mounted on helicopters or drones), providing 3D imagery of ruins, even the ones deeply buried in nature. One of the main tools transforming archaeology is LiDAR (an acronym for Light Detection and Ranging). Soon robotics and artificial intelligence will become an essential part of the field too, transforming archaeology into a discipline of the future. Laser scanners (LiDAR) and satellite imagery are revolutionising the archaeological field the same way the Hubble Space Telescope revolutionised astronomy. Today archaeologists are equipped with the newest technological tools that allow identifying hidden structures in a matter of hours. We are entering a golden era of archaeological discoveries where technology will be at its core.
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