Space archeology sounds like science fiction: a cross between Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Coincidentally, those were Sarah Parcak's favorite movies when she was growing up. But Parcak is now an Egyptologist, a professor at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and an actual space archeologist--she uses high-tech satellite imagery in her on-the-ground work. Archaeology from Space introduces the burgeoning subfield to the uninformed (but curious) and explores how it is transforming the work of people like Parcak and her colleagues.
Parcak shares her childhood fascination with archeology and her experience on digs, both as a student and a professional. She gives a brief history of space archeology, highlighting the role of aerial photographs, remote-sensing technology and more recent advances in satellite imagery from NASA and other organizations. She then delves into the stories of specific digs and projects she has worked on, which have been profoundly shaped by insights gained from comparing satellite images to sights on the ground. Parcak's love for her field and her deep wonder and excitement come through on every page.
"Discovering a city is only the beginning," she says. Archeologists ask a wealth of questions about every site they come across, and the true gift of her work is "the opportunity to search for those answers." She spends one chapter spinning a vivid narrative about an Egyptian family and their livelihood, extrapolated from the bones of a woman found at Tell Ibrahim Awad. The story takes artistic license, of course, but shows what is possible to imagine from findings at a site. Bones, pottery fragments, building foundations and other finds can re-create the stories of an entire society. With her work on four continents, Parcak has already seen a wealth of such stories emerge from the ground.
Parcak also shares the story of several crowdsourcing projects that are making space archeology available to anyone online, including GlobalXplorer, which she helped found. While she deeply respects and values the expertise of professionals like her colleagues, she believes the stories of ancient ruins and the joy of discovery and exploration should be available to everyone. She calls archeology "a hope machine for humanity," and believes strongly that the field can offer insights into the human condition, past and present. And her enthusiasm is infectious.
Clear, accessible and fascinating, peppered with witty asides and informative photos, Archaeology from Space is an excellent introduction to an exciting subfield that's still flying under the (satellite) radar. As Parcak herself says, quoting another of her heroes: "The game is afoot. Expect surprises." --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams
Shelf Talker: Egyptologist Sarah Parcak enthusiastically introduces readers to the growing field of space archeology.