Researchers Are Using ‘Transformative’ Technology To Uncover Ancient Civilizations

Researchers are using a “transformative” laser technology to help them uncover ancient civilizations, NPR reported Tuesday.

Jerash, a Jordanian city was studied by a team of researchers through the use of LiDAR, which stands for “Light Detection and Ranging” to help map out the now submerged parts of the ancient civilization, according to NPR.

The city boasts ancient structures such as an amphitheater, a hippodrome, along with ancient churches and temples that are popular tourist attractions. However, most of the city began expanding in the 1950s, leaving some of the city submerged. The innovative use of lasers is combatting the city’s dramatic urban growth.

Researchers used the laser to create a three-dimensional map that offers evidence the ancient civilization had detailed aqueducts, an ancient system that transported water to Jerash. (RELATED: Amateur Archaeologists Find Hundreds Of Viking Artifacts In Baltics)

“Ancient Gerasa, modern Jerash, is one of the key archaeological sites in the Middle East due to its state of preservation. It is the second most visited tourist site in Jordan after Petra. Beginning in the Neolithic period the location yields a so-called,” David Stott, an archaeologist at Aarhus University who helped with the study, wrote in a research paper.

Amateur archaeologists also discovered hundreds of Viking coins in the Baltics earlier this year.

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