[SSJPython]

> To get a detailed lay of the land, Frachetti and Maksudov equipped a drone with remote-sensing technology called lidar (light detection and ranging). Drones are tightly regulated in Uzbekistan, but the researchers managed to get the necessary permits to fly one at the site. A lidar scanner uses laser pulses to map the features of land below. The technology has been increasingly used in archaeology—in the past few years it has helped uncover a lost Maya city sprawling beneath the rainforest canopy in Guatemala.

> This method has its limitations, Silvia says—namely, it often turns up false positives. It’s also impossible to confirm which features come from which time period without more excavation.

Despite the limitations, it's still great that this technology is making inroads in archaeology. Would be interested to see this put to work in the Sahara and other mostly unexplored/unexcavated areas. Seems to be a low-cost but potentially high-reward project.

[AlotOfReading]

It's only low cost by comparison to excavation, which is extraordinarily expensive. Good lidars would consume a considerable portion of the equipment budget for a field team. Back when I did this stuff, my budgets for a field season were less than a week's worth of my tech job salary.

One time I dragged a fixed wing out to the middle of Central Asia to do some aerial surveys. It went up, caught in some wind, and immediately dropped into a river never to be seen again. That one hurt.

[fakedang]

Rejoice in the fact that you'll have unintentionally guided some 31st century archaeologist.

[sandworm101]

Or triggered a host of ancient-aliens conspiracy theories after they find remains of a drone atop a 4500yo pyramid.

[hinkley]

Making drones out of depleted carbon to throw off the dates.

[ahazred8ta]

Trivia: the Portland Unipiper works for a lidar company.

[readthenotes1]

"this technology is making inroads "

Making inroads by not using roads...