



Doug Bolender and Dr. Sarah Parcak at Point Rosee by Freddie Claire, courtesy BBC.

The Vikings described a place called Vinland — a “land of wine,” bursting with berries. But where, exactly, was it? Space archeologist Sarah Parcak shares a step-by-step look at how her team used Norse texts and satellite imagery to search in eastern Canada.


Archaeology is a puzzle. For Sarah Parcak, the arduous process of trying to find ancient treasures is made exponentially easier by satellite imagery.

The Temple of Bel in Palmyra, Syria. Photo: iStock.

Terrorists make headlines by destroying ancient sites like Palmyra, in Syria. But there’s an even more sinister endgame, as archaeologist Sarah Parcak explains.


Strange as it may seem, archaeologists often look to the sky to discover sites buried deep beneath the earth. Space archaeology, as it’s called, refers to the use of high-resolution satellite imaging and lasers to map and model archaeological ruins. TED Fellow Sarah Parcak makes extensive use of this technology in her work. She explains why it’s so useful.