Satellite or space archaeology is a relatively new field within archaeology that uses satellite imagery coupled with software processing to find archaeological sites. Space archaeology now has access to a variety of satellites with ever-increasing resolution. The field has access to declassified satellite images dating back to the original spy satellites from the 1960s. Space archaeology also encompasses plane- or drone-based images with other sophisticated imaging technology such as Light Detection and Ranging, or LIDAR.

 

Satellite archaeology uses a variety of bands to “see” that include visible light, as well as the invisible infrared, thermal, and other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Depending upon the bands, a researcher can identify various landscape features with a distinctive signature, or albedo, which may reveal a subterranean find.

 

Dr. Sarah Parcak is perhaps the most well-known space archaeologist. A National Geographic Explorer and winner of the 2016 TED prize, she used her TED award to create GlobalXplorer, an online crowdsourcing website, to look with satellite imagery for archaeological sites in Peru, the site of Machu Picchu.