Archaeological Research

P-45156 		This is a SIR-C/X-SAR radar image of the area around the city of Angkor, Cambodia. The city houses an ancient complex of more than 60 temples dating back to the 9th century. The principal complex, Angkor Wat, is the bright square just left of the center of the image. It is surrounded by a reservoir that appears in this image as a thick black line. The larger bright square above Angkor Wat is another temple complex called Angkor Thom. Archeologists studying this image believe the blue-purple area slightly north of Angkor Thom may represent previously undiscovered structures. Before it was abandoned in the 15th century, Angkor had a population of 1 million residents and was the spiritual center for the Khmer people.

Today the Angkor complex is hidden beneath a dense rainforest canopy, making it difficult for researchers on the ground to study the ancient city. The SIR-C/X-SAR data are being used by archaeologists at the World Monuments Fund and the Royal Angkor Foundation to understand how the city grew, flourished and later fell into disuse over an 800-year period. The data are also being used to help reconstruct the vast system of hydrological works, canals and reservoirs, which have gone out of use over time. Research teams from more than 11 countries will be using these data to study the Angkor complex.

LightSAR's Potential Contribution:

Archaeology uses many sources of data to provide clues to the locations and characteristics of pre-historic human habitation and enterprise. LightSAR's high-resolution radar images will reveal small details that could indicate ancient structures or routes of travel. In addition, LightSAR's longer L-band frequency can penetrate the forest canopy to reveal overwise hidden evidence of disturbance. In some very arid areas, LightSAR will be able to penetrate below the ground surface to reveal possible buried structures.

Technical Details and Theory

References

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