Update: That before-and-after aerial shot of the Roman fort in Wales blew my mind

I was scrolling through the community feed the other day and saw that post comparing lidar scans of a Roman fort in Wales from 2012 and 2023. The difference was wild. The ditch lines around the fort were barely visible in the older image, but in the 2023 scan they popped out like someone traced them with a sharpie. My question is: did they just get better lidar equipment in that decade, or was there something else going on? Maybe different vegetation growth patterns or seasonal conditions? Has anyone here seen a similar dramatic change in a site's visibility over time like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_lee2d ago

Tbh that lidar upgrade in Wales is just another example of how much better tools make old stuff look new again. I noticed the same thing with my dad's old pair of binoculars from the 80s vs a cheap pair I got at a store last year. The difference was night and day even though I barely spent anything. It makes you wonder how many other historical sites we've been missing because the tech just wasn't good enough yet. Honestly I bet in another 10 years even the 2023 scans will look like garbage compared to whatever they cook up next.

the_mary2d ago

My grandpa had this old metal detector from the 70s. Heavy thing, always beeped at random trash. Took it to a beach once, found nothing but bottle caps and a rusty spoon. Last year I borrowed a friend's cheap new one from Amazon. Found three old coins in an hour. Same beach. @finley_lee you're dead right about the binoculars thing too. My uncle's old pair had this weird green tint, made everything look sickly. A $30 pair I grabbed for a hike last month made trees look sharp and clear. Makes you wonder what else we've been walking past our whole lives.