An overview of space archeology including development and possible future uses.
Ends with a discussion of looting and the possibilities of satellites to preserve the past.
library book read 4/14/2023 ( )

Wonderful overview of what satellite imagery has done for arachaeology. Most importantly, Dr. Parcak makes a call for help in preserving antiquity. Her research shows that if nothing is done, all of Egypt's sites will be affected by looting. Help researchers identify sites of ancient people from satellite imagery at the citizen science platform GlobalXplorer https://www.globalxplorer.org/about

A connection to ancient cultures and a reminder that the world is closer than we think. ( )

This book is part memoir, part introduction to archaeology, part discussion of the technological advances in the field, and part call to prevent looting of of archaeological sites. There is also a smattering of historical fiction stories as Parcak describes one particular Egyptian dig site in detail.

The book covers enough different topics that I imagine a lot of readers will end up skimming or skipping parts of it, but Parcak's writing is clear and engaging. It's amazing how rapidly the field of archaeology is changing with technological advances. Parcak even has one science fiction chapter in which she imagines a near future where an entire archaeological site can be mapped and explored in a few hours with satellites and drones, and then she explains how this future really isn't very far off. Her enthusiasm and passion are contagious, and she makes a very strong case for why archaeology is important. ( )

This book is a bit dry. But it's certainly not dusty. If you're curious about archaeology, and want a modern perspective, thus is a must read. ( )

The organization of the book is a bit odd but it's quite readable for the non-expert ( )