Search Here

A female space archaeologist, who has been working on the preservation of historical sites in Egypt, has received a $1 million TED Prize for 2016.

Sarah Parcak, dubbed as the modern day Indiana Jones, has been the trailblazers in her field for using satellite imagery in investigating sub-surface remains in the Middle East particularly in protecting underground tombs and other historical sites from being looted and completely destroyed, CNN reported.

In a skype interview, the female archaeologist shared how getting the TED Prize makes her proud and at the same time feel responsible in raising awareness on the condition of the heritage sites.

"(I) feel overwhelmed, honored, and excited -- and definitely the weight of responsibility for my field. TED is an incredible organization and this is a phenomenal opportunity to raise awareness about what is happening to our ancient shared heritage," she told the news outlet via skype.

Parcak's satellites are initially used for military surveillance has infrared and thermal capabilities that can accurately identify objects in sub-surfaces that are less than a meter in diameter. These satellites, installed 500 kms outside the Earth's surface, uses infrared lights that have longer wavelengths than the visible light enabling it to penetrate the Earth's surface.

Previously, the space archaeologist was able to identify 17 potentially unknown pyramids, more than one thousand tombs and three thousand settlements. Further, she is hoping to discover lost cities that have never been talked about in the whole millennia, Forbes said.

In her book, 'Satellite Remote Sensing for Archaeology,' Parcak stressed the importance of a "deep knowledge of historical events, the geology of how materials degrade over time, topography of landscapes, seasonal weather conditions, and the culture as a whole" so that findings using her new technology could be more meaningful.

Despite her fame, Sarah Parcak did not attribute her success as her own and instead, acknowledged the efforts of other professionals who have also been passionate in protecting archaeological sites.

"The last four and half years have been horrific for archaeology. I've spent a lot of time, as have many of my colleagues, looking at the destruction. This Prize is not about me. It's about our field. It's about the thousands of men and women around the world, particularly in the Middle East, who are defending and protecting sites," she said in a statement via NBC News.

Sarah Parcak will deliver her speech on February 16 during the TED 2016 Conference.