Seeing Past the Dirt

Using ground-penetrating radar to focus archaeological digs

Behold the modern archaeologist in the field: no pick, no shovel, no whisk broom. On this day, the only equipment that’s apparent is a cart full of electronics, which the researcher is pushing back and forth over the ground. The activity recalls a homeowner mowing a lawn, but this is instead high-tech prospecting with ground-penetrating radar.