Why Switzerland Is An Archaeological Treasure Trove

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Using the remote-sensing method Lidar, archaeologists can now uncover secrets that have remained hidden for centuries. No other country offers such comprehensive, freely available, high-resolution radar scans. This content was published on April 5, 2025 - 11:00 5 minutes Christoph Kummer

• Deutsch de Feine Gelände-Scans machen die Schweiz zur Fundgrube der Archäologie Original Read more: Feine Gelände-Scans machen die Schweiz zur Fundgrube der Archäologi
• Français fr Des scans précis du terrain font de la Suisse une mine d'or pour l'archéologie Read more: Des scans précis du terrain font de la Suisse une mine d'or pour l'archéologi
• Italiano it Scansioni precise del terreno fanno della Svizzera una miniera d'oro per l'archeologia Read more: Scansioni precise del terreno fanno della Svizzera una miniera d'oro per l'archeologi

Hardly anywhere in densely populated Switzerland hasn't been shaped by humans. Roads, houses and farmland characterise the landscape. Even the forests, which cover a third of the country, are cultivated.

Nevertheless, they are also refuges of the past: archaeological treasures lie dormant here, between humus and roots. Lidar can visualise these remnants. It is a technology that can scan entire landscapes at ground level and thus create precise terrain reliefs.

Lidar stands for Light Detection and Ranging and is used from the air. An aeroplane or drone emits laser beams that hit the ground and are reflected back. Sensors measure the time of flight of the beams and use this to calculate the height and structure of the landscape. Vegetation can be masked out in the process.

More More Discovering Switzerland's buried treasure

This content was published on Nov 24, 2019 From gold pendants and bronze hands to coin-filled jugs, X marks the spot of some of the most significant recent finds.

Read more: Discovering Switzerland's buried treasur

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