Did you know that tools and technologies that are used in space exploration and studying Earth can actually be used to learn more about ancient cities and land? 

This type of study is called aerial archaeology - when ancient buildings and remains are studied from up above instead of on the ground.

Try out the activities below to learn more about this amazing way to study our Earth and humans from the past! You'll get familiar with what satellite and aerial photos look like and learn how to look for changes and patterns.

Jump to a Section:   Your Name in Landsat Images      Geography from Space     Story Time Recommendations      Spotlight Story      Collections Connection      Explore Outside

What is aerial archaeology?

Archaeologists excavating a historical site with wheelbarrows and tools, surrounded by green hills and a stone building in the background.

An archaeologist is a scientist who studies people who lived a long time ago and learns about them from the objects and homes they've left behind.

Archaeologists are known to use tools like brushes, shovels and sieves. But airplanes and satellites in space are also tools they use!

Vista aérea de unas ruinas antiguas de piedra que forman un trazado cuadrado sobre una zona cubierta de hierba

Archaeologists can study ancient structures on the ground from above in air or from space using photography and satellite imaging. This is called aerial archaeology.

These images are used to find new archaeological sites, identify new features on already found sites, and track changes on vulnerable sites to help preserve them!

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A computer rendering of a satellite in black space, above the Earth's atmosphere. The satellite has chunky grey and white machinery on the left side and a large rectangular solar panel protruding out to the right, about four times wider than the machinery itself.

Activity: Best for ages 5-8

Your Name in Landsat Images

In this fun and personalized activity, explore features of the Earth through satellite imagery! Type your name into this software and see each letter as a Landsat satellite image. We can use these images to discover how and why the shape of land changes over time!

What is Landsat?

  • Landsat is a series of satellites run by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. These satellites have provided the longest continuous space-based record of Earth’s land in existence!
  • These images help scientists and other experts track changes to the Earth over time made naturally or by humans.
Una captura de pantalla del sitio web “Your name in Landsat” [“Tu nombre en Landsat”] que muestra imágenes de satélite que reflejan las letras de la palabra “Luna”

Step 1: Go to a web browser on your computer or phone and visit Your Name in Landsat.

Step 2: Input your first name into the text box.

A satellite image of green fields where the deeper green looks like a "L."

Step 3: Look  closely at each of the images. 

  • What do you see? Can you see water like a river or lake, or farmland (which look like perfect shapes)?
  • Where in the world was this image taken? Is this a warm place or a cold place? 
  • The image above shows farmland that forms the letter "L".
Una captura de pantalla de una imagen satelital que busca parecer las letras que forman el nombre “Benny”

Step 4: Click on each of the images to see where the image was taken. 
Step 5: Reenter your name or another name to see more Landsat images!

Think About It!

Why do you think these images were taken? How can scientists use these images?

Satellite image of a peninsula in Central America.

Activity: Best for ages 10 and up

Geography from Space

Test your geography skills by looking closely at images taken from space. 

Take the Quiz

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Story Time Recommendations

Portada de un libro sobre el espacio con una ilustración de la Tierra y la luna desde un punto de vista cercano a Marte y el texto “Looking Down” [“Con la mirada hacia abajo”]

Looking Down

by Steve Jenkins 
Best for ages 4-8

In this wordless picture book, we see a view of the Earth from different perspectives—from outer space, from the upper atmosphere and through the eyes of a small child.

Book cover with the title "You wouldn't want to live without satellites!" and the text "Written by Ian Graham and illustrated by Mark Bergin" in a whimsical white font against the black background of space. In the foreground are two astronauts preforming a space walk around the ISS.

You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Satellites

by Ian Graham, illustrated by Mark Bergin
Best for ages 8-12

Learn about the different jobs of satellites as they zoom around the Earth. Watch as they scan the earth to provide us with information about weather, location, and even ancient civilizations. What would life be like without satellites? 

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A woman, Dr. Sarah Parcak, in a turquoise shirt speaks passionately on stage. She gestures with one hand, holding a device in the other. The background shows a blurred aerial landscape.

Spotlight Story

Dr. Sarah Parcak, Space Archaeologist and Egyptologist

We've talked about what aerial archaeology is, but who does it? Meet Dr. Sarah Parcak and find out how she uses aerial archaeology to study ancient Egypt!

  • Dr. Sarah Parcak is a professor of anthropology at the University of Alabama Birmingham where she founded their Laboratory for Global Observation. 
  • Dr. Parcak is an Egyptologist, which means she studies the culture of the ancient Egyptians through the objects they left behind. 
  • One of the innovative ways she studies the ancient Egyptians is through the use of satellites. The field of space archaeology is one that Dr. Parcak helped pioneer and has written several books and many articles about!
  • Space archaeology uses satellites and infrared imaging to collect information about the surface of the Earth from far above. These satellites send and receive different wavelengths of light to create detailed visual and thermal images. Even images from Google Earth can be used to do space archaeology!
  • By looking at these images, Dr. Parcak is able to identify the locations of buried structures like tombs, roads, or entire cities. Knowing exactly where to look helps her excavation teams save time and money by not having to guess where to look.
  • Dr. Parcak is not the first in her family to use images from above in their research! Her grandfather was a paratrooper in WWII in the 101st Airborne who analyzed aerial photographs to plot landing positions for the D-Day operation. When he left the army, he became a professor of forestry who used aerial photographs to analyze the height of trees. It was Dr. Parcak's initial interest in the work of her grandfather that led her down the path to becoming a space archaeologist!

Think About It!

When Dr. Parcak's grandfather was in the army, aerial photography was a relatively new development. In less than a 100 years we have progressed to taking these images from space! Think about how much more these technologies could develop in the next 100 years? Do you have any ideas of what could be next?

Historical Collections

Check out these aerial archaeology images from historical collections and find out what they reveal.

Fotografía en tonos sepia de un montículo en forma de serpiente que recorre una ladera entre árboles.

Photographs of Ohio Mounds

  • This picture of Serpent Mound in Peebles, Ohio was taken by aerial photographer Dache M. Reeves. It was first published in 1936.
  • The Serpent Mound was created by the Early Woodland Adena culture around 300 BCE, making it about 2300 years old! The Serpent stretches over a quarter mile long and is up to 4.9 feet tall and 24.9 feet wide! This makes it the largest serpent sculpture in the world. 
  • When viewed from above, it is clear how this mound is in the shape of the serpent! See how its long body twists and turns, and on the right side ends in an open mouth?
  • This photograph is in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian's collection.
A black and white photograph of tall pyramid like Mayan ruins emerging from a lunch jungle forest.

Aerial Photographs of Mayan Ruins in Central America

  • In the late 1920s, Charles and Anne Lindbergh captured aerial photographs of Maya ruins in Central America, including Chichén Itzá. 

  • These images provided a new perspective on Maya architecture, such as the Temple of Kukulkán, whose design reflects the Maya's deep connection to solar cycles. The pyramid’s 365 steps symbolize the solar year, and during equinoxes, light and shadow create effects resembling Kukulkán’s descent. 

  • The Lindberghs’ photos highlighted the significance of solar alignments in Maya culture, helping archaeologists understand the role of astronomy in their architecture and agricultural practices.

  • This photograph is in Yale University Library's collection.

A black and white photograph showing large vertical rock formations that house cliff dwellings. The dwelling area is circled by a superimposed white circle.

Aerial Photographs of the White House Ruins

  • Charles and Anne Lindbergh also captured aerial photographs of the White House ruins during their exploration of Chaco Canyon in the late 1920s.
  • The White House, one of the largest great houses in Chaco Canyon, showcases the intricate architecture of the Ancestral Puebloans, between 859 AD and 1250 AD.
  • The Lindberghs' aerial images provided a unique view of the ruins. They highlighted the site's layout and architectural features, including its multiple levels and ceremonial structures called kivas. These photographs helped archaeologists learn more about the native people of Chaco Canyon, their trade networks, and the cultural significance of the site.
  • This photograph is in Yale University Library's collection.

Explore Outside!

How could you do photography from above in your hometown? Think about the highest place near you. Maybe it is a skyscraper, a mountain, a roof deck or even just the top of a secure ladder. 

When you look down, what can you see? Can you see where humans or natural causes have changed the land below? Can you see roads, footpaths, or animal tracks? Is your town built near a body of water?

These are just a few questions help you start thinking like an aerial archaeologist!

Soar Together at Air and Space is made possible by the generous support of Northrop Grumman.

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