While Jaime Awe was growing up in western Belize, digging in the dirt and discovering ancient pottery pieces, the idea of using lasers to find Mayan ruins would have sounded like science fiction to the budding archaeologist. Today, the assistant anthropology professor is using data from the technology to unearth archaeological treasures and help NAU students study ancient civilizations.
Awe calls the technology “God’s gift to the tropical archaeologist,” because LiDAR, the light detection radar captured from a plane, records detailed images of the landscape or buildings. “In areas of really thick jungle, where it would be costly and time-consuming to go and try to locate ancient sites, now you can see them,” Awe said.
Before coming to NAU this past fall, Awe spent the past 14 years in Belize. He served as director for that country’s Institute of Archaeology, where a private grant covered the $350,000 cost of the LiDAR survey. A smaller NAU faculty grant will help Awe and three graduate students return to Belize this summer to continue research on the Maya’s archaeological sites.
One of Awe’s goals this summer is ground-truthing, which he describes as “physically observing and confirming features identified by LiDAR and recording them using conventional survey methods.”
Modern-day researchers can learn a lot from the Maya in Belize, who numbered near 1 million in A.D.600, three times the country’s present day population. By analyzing formerly undiscovered sites, scientists could learn more about agricultural methods used to sustain its larger population and how the civilization was affected by drought, which is believed to have contributed to the Maya’s demise. Awe also is interested in studying an area where the Maya constructed an extensive canal system to manage flooding.
Additionally, Awe plans to employ and collaborate with modern descendants of the ancient Maya and engage them in cultural heritage research in Belize. Awe and one of his graduate students will also work with the Belize government who is interested in preserving and developing archaeological sites for tourism.
Many of the opportunities available to Awe and his students at NAU are the result of LiDAR technology. “In only a few parts of the world do we have archaeologists who are able to acquire this kind of data, so in a big way, it is putting us at the cutting edge of research in archaeology,” Awe said.
Wakati Jaime Awe alipokuwa akikua magharibi mwa Belize, akichimba katika udongo na kugundua vipande vya udongo vya kale, wazo la kutumia lasers kupata magofu ya Maya lingekuwa likisikika kama hadithi za uwongo kwa mtaalamu huyo wa akiolojia. Leo, profesa msaidizi wa anthropolojia anatumia data kutoka kwa teknolojia hiyo kuchimba hazina za akiolojia na kusaidia wanafunzi wa NAU kujifunza ustaarabu wa kale. "Tabibu hiyo ya kugundua vitu vya kale yaitwa ""zawadi ya Mungu kwa wataalamu wa vitu vya kale vya kitropiki"" kwa sababu LiDAR, radar ya kugundua mwanga inayopigwa kutoka kwenye ndege, inarekodi picha za kina za mandhari au majengo." "Katika maeneo ya misitu mikubwa sana, ambapo ingekuwa gharama kubwa na inachukua muda kwenda na kujaribu kupata maeneo ya kale, sasa unaweza kuyaona", Awe alisema. Kabla ya kuwasili katika chuo hicho mwaka huu, Awe alikuwa akifanya kazi nchini Belize. Aliwahi kuwa mkurugenzi wa Taasisi ya Archaeology ya nchi hiyo, ambapo ruzuku ya kibinafsi ilifunika gharama ya $ 350,000 ya uchunguzi wa LiDAR. Msaada mdogo wa kitivo cha NAU utasaidia Awe na wanafunzi watatu wa kuhitimu kurudi Belize majira haya ya joto ili kuendelea na utafiti juu ya maeneo ya akiolojia ya Maya. "Mmoja wa malengo ya Awe ni ""kuangalia na kuthibitisha vitu vilivyoonekana na LiDAR na kuviandika kwa kutumia mbinu za kawaida za uchunguzi"" na ""kujifunza mengi kutoka kwa Wamaya wa Belize, ambao walikuwa karibu milioni moja mnamo 600 KK, mara tatu ya idadi ya watu wa nchi hiyo leo.""" Kwa kuchunguza maeneo ambayo hayakufunuliwa hapo awali, wanasayansi wangeweza kujifunza zaidi kuhusu mbinu za kilimo zilizotumiwa kuendeleza idadi kubwa ya watu na jinsi ustaarabu huo ulivyoathiriwa na ukame, ambao unaaminika kuwa ulichangia kuangamia kwa Wamaya. Awe pia anapendezwa na kuchunguza eneo ambapo Wamaya walijenga mfumo mkubwa wa mifereji ili kudhibiti mafuriko. Awe pia ana mpango wa kuajiri na kushirikiana na wazao wa kisasa wa Maya wa kale na kuwaingiza katika utafiti wa urithi wa kitamaduni huko Belize. Awe na mmoja wa wanafunzi wake wa kuhitimu pia watafanya kazi na serikali ya Belize ambayo inahusika katika kuhifadhi na kuendeleza maeneo ya akiolojia kwa utalii. Uwezekano wa kufanikiwa kwa Awe na wanafunzi wake katika Chuo Kikuu cha New York ni matokeo ya teknolojia ya LiDAR. "Katika sehemu chache tu za ulimwengu tuna wataalamu wa akiolojia ambao wanaweza kupata aina hii ya data, kwa hivyo kwa njia kubwa, inatuweka kwenye makali ya utafiti katika akiolojia, "Awe alisema.