Studies of monuments and tombs have revealed aspects of everyday Egyptian life — “Like us, they wrote on walls and obsessed over cats” — satellite data have filled in some bigger-picture details.

from an article in Science News quoting Sarah Parcak.

Erin Wayman’s review of this book piqued my interest with phrases like this:

• “With the witty Parcak as a guide, the book offers a lively, inspiring trip around the world, back in time and even into the future.”
• “Parcak is a natural storyteller whose enthusiasm is infectious. By the end of the book, I was wishing I had paid more attention in my college archaeology courses.”

I love history, and I love story-telling. I’m going to get our library to order this book. While I’m waiting for it to come in, I’ve been watching some videos featuring Sarah Parcek and archaeology. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Archaeology from Space (Ted Talk)gives an example of how satellite images are used to identify old areas of civilization.
• Culture Heroes (with National Geographic) is an impassioned discussion of looting and loss of archaeological sites and how saltellite imagery can be used to fight this.
• Archaeology from Space: How the Future Shapes Our Past. Archaeology shows us how little mankind has changed over thousands of years. Also addresses crisis times, like that of climate change. Plus, she’s a science fiction nerd. I love it!

A big part of my research into Biblical times and cultures depends on archaeologists. I appreciate their work and recognize the value it brings to us today. Geeks unite!