DECLASSIFIED U2 PHOTOS OPEN A NEW WINDOW INTO THE PAST
Archaeologists are using declassified imagery captured by U2 spy planes in the 1950s to locate and study sites of historical interest that have since been obscured or destroyed.
This work extends previous efforts to apply CORONA spy satellite imagery, declassified in the 1990s, to geographical, environmental and historical research. But the U2 imagery is older and often of higher resolution, providing an even further look back.
"U2 photographs allowed us to present a more complete picture of the archaeological landscape than would have otherwise been possible," wrote archaeologists Emily Hammer and Jason Ur in a new paper. See Near Eastern Landscapes and Declassified U2 Aerial Imagery, Advances in Archaeological Practice, published online March 12, 2019.
The exploitation of U2 imagery required some ingenuity and entrepreneurship on the authors' part, especially since the declassified images are not very user-friendly.
"Logistical and technical barriers have for more than a decade prevented the use of U2 photography by archaeologists," they noted. "The declassification included no spatial index or finding aid for the planes' flight paths or areas of photographic coverage. The declassified imagery is not available for purchase or download; interested researchers must photograph the original negatives at the NARA II facility in College Park, Maryland."
Since no finding aids existed, the authors created them themselves. Their paper also contains links to web maps to help other researchers locate relevant film cans and order them for viewing in College Park.
"These [U2] photographs are a phenomenal historical resource," said Professor Ur. "Have a look at Aleppo in 1959 and Mosul in 1958. These places are now destroyed."
source: https://mailchi.mp/fas/secrecy-news
