Alexandria's founded by Alexander

Alexandria's founded by Alexander the Great (by year BC): 334 Alexandria in Troia (Turkey) - 333 Alexandria at Issus/Alexandrette (Iskenderun, Turkey) - 332 Alexandria of Caria/by the Latmos (Alinda, Turkey) - 331 Alexandria Mygdoniae - 331 Alexandria (Egypt) - 330 Alexandria Ariana (Herat, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria of the Prophthasia/in Dragiana/Phrada (Farah, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in the Caucasus (Begram, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria of the Paropanisades (Ghazni, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria Eschate or Ultima (Khodjend, Tajikistan) - 329 Alexandria on the Oxus (Termez, Afghanistan) - 328 Alexandria in Margiana (Merv, Turkmenistan) - 326 Alexandria Nicaea (on the Hydaspes, India) - 326 Alexandria Bucephala (on the Hydaspes, India) - 325 Alexandria Sogdia - 325 Alexandria Oreitide - 325 Alexandria in Opiene / Alexandria on the Indus (confluence of Indus & Acesines, India) - 325 Alexandria Rambacia (Bela, Pakistan) - 325 Alexandria Xylinepolis (Patala, India) - 325 Alexandria in Carminia (Gulashkird, Iran) - 324 Alexandria-on-the-Tigris/Antiochia-in-Susiana/Charax (Spasinou Charax on the Tigris, Iraq) - ?Alexandria of Carmahle? (Kahnu)

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

A plea for satellite archaeology

The revolutionary work done by Sarah Parcak fascinated me right from the beginning. 

Her approach to archaeology is very unique since she uses NASA satellite images to find hitherto hidden cities, harbors, monuments, tombs and other constructions. I first saw her on TV as she disclosed how she was able to locate Portus, the extended port of Rome. It was real detective work as she peeled off of one layer of contrasting image after the other using technologies that accentuated shades and depth otherwise unnoticed. 

She has launched a new era of archaeology, called satellite archaeology. This method is particularly useful in finding ancient sites and buildings before looters do and destroy the precious remains.  

So far, Sarah Parcak has investigated a wide range of places like Machu Picchu in Peru and the Nazca lines. Her search also led her to Newfoundland to investigate the Vikings’ presence, although most of her attention goes to the buried pyramids and tombs in Egypt.

After being awarded the 2016 TEC Prize, she started building an online tool called GlobalXplorer. This is a user-friendly program to which we all can participate to locate our still hidden heritage and eventually protect it. Everybody can contribute to creating a platform for archaeology by analyzing the available satellite imagery. She is making her case in this YouTube presentation.


Exploring our world by satellite is far more efficient and productive than if we have to organize specialized crews to dig in so many remote and unsafe areas.

Just like with the GPR I discussed in my earlier blog From GPS to GPR. A new technology, who knows what surprises are still waiting for us to discover.

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