It began before hot air balloons and airplanes: the habit of noticing differences in crop coloring and height, or dampness and depressions in the land. These signposts often hinted at the location of ancient human habitation. But it wasn't until air travel and cameras arrived on the scene that aerial archaeology came into being. Now, scientists take to the air to look for shadows of the past, catch snapshots of sights that catch their eye, and follow up to check their discoveries on the ground. This site was inspired by the work of Roger Agache, part of the mid-20th century group of French "flying fools." The results of their cheap aerial surveys, taken with second-hand cameras in doctored-up aircraft, inspired the International Aerial Archaeology Conference in Paris in 1963. Strap yourself in and take a tour through the history and this amazing "collection of images of the many ways that the past has left its trace."
