Using Google Earth for Archaeological Research A Virtual Survey of the Inca Road Network between Machu Picchu and Choquequirao

Abstract

In the face of a global pandemic, disciplines like archaeology that rely on field research have had to adapt to remote investigation settings. Following the launch of Google Earth (GE) in 2005, researchers have postulated and tested its utility for archaeological research. Archaeologists have recognized its potential as a tool for visualization, educational purposes, and research applications like remote sensing. For example, since 2016, the GlobalXplorer Project directed by Dr. Sarah Parcak of the University of Alabama at Birmingham has demonstrated the utility of satellite imagery for identifying and monitoring archaeological looting, in addition to discovering and preserving sites previously unknown to archaeologists. However, more research is needed to assess its usefulness to the survey of previously studied areas in mountainous and heavily forested terrain like in the Central Andes of South America