Remote sensing technique was used to uncover the ruins

Jun 11, 2012 14:54 GMT  ·  By

Archeology has apparently evolved from using shovels to dig up dirt at remote locations to using technologies including Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) to search for lost cities from above. This is how a new study managed to identify an interesting area in Honduras that may hold an ancient city.

The legendary lost city of Ciudad Blanca may have been found by experts at the University of Houston and the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The Honduras President Porfirio Lobo has only recently announced the discovery. The study was conducted in the largely unexplored Mosquitia region.

Archaeologists now have access to extremely precise data of where the features they are interested in are located. According to the team behind the study, LIDAR data are precise within a few meters. Ground teams can now move in and start digs right away, without having to look for the location beforehand.

Through this significant achievement, airborne laser mapping has demonstrated its capabilities for use in the field of archeology. One possible application for it now would be to study the sands of Egypt, in hopes of finding some of the hundreds, if not thousands, of pyramids researchers believe are still buried under the sands.