Be the Space Archeologist You Always Wanted to be

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Have you ever dreamed of being an archeologist and traveling around the world in search of lost treasures? Well, you can just do that, and Sarah Parcak will show you how. Be the space archeologist you always wanted to be and win a cash prize of one million dollars.

Ever thought of leaving your cushy and monotonous desk job in order to seek the thrill of traveling to the four corners of the world? Become the second Indiana Jones by following a couple of steps. But remember: you need to know a little about ancient history and how to work with a map.

So, what’s up with space archeology? To put it bluntly, it’s not about working with space objects or with relics belonging to bygone alien civilization. Space archeology refers to a branch of archeology which uses satellites and satellite imagery in order to identify new archeological sites on Earth.

Now Sarah Parcak wants to show you the secret of her trade and it’s quite simple. All you have to do is to take a look at some pretty pictures and try to see if there are any hidden relics in them. Actually, the whole process is a lot more complex than that.

Let’s start with something easier like the reason behind this never before seen project. Sarah Parcak, the famous space archeologist declared that she wants to launch a challenge to all those who are into history and ancient civilizations. The scientists and her team have managed to put together an online platform called Global Xplorer. The platform makes use of satellite images in order to identify potential new archeological sites.

Moreover, the program makes use of the so-called crowdsourcing, which seems to have become quite a thing. How does this work? By accessing the site, you will receive two versions of a picture taking by a satellite: the unabridged version and the enhanced version. The picture will depict an area of interest.

All that you’ll have to will be to compare the two picture in order to see if there are any points of interest, like variable heights or discrepancies in the continuity of the terrain. Along with the picture, the scientists, and her team are ready to supply you with visual examples of different historical elements like Egyptian hovels or the structure of a pyramid.

Compare the two picture and submit your observation on the platform. Parcak said that if enough users see the same thing in the picture, the image will be submitted for further analysis. If the team discovers that the site has points of interest, it will submit the data to other archeologists who will begin to excavate the site.

Be the space archeologist you always wanted to be and take a crack at Parcak’s challenge.

Photo credits:www.flickr.com