The Earth is 4.5 billion years old. Modern humans have only roamed the Earth for about 300,000 years. To understand where we come from today, how our social structures came to be, studying these ancient civilizations is vital. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has placed under protection sites they deem as areas of “cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.” As of July 2021, there are 1,154 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These sites spread across 167 countries, with the majority of them being found in Europe.

On April 13, 2012, the Turkish medieval city of Beçin was tentatively added to the World Heritage Site list. Located on a low hill southwest of the modern city of Beçin, the ancient site dates back to the 4th century during the Hellenistic period. Archeologists and anthropologists are working to study the ancient buildings that include a fort, mosques, baths, and dwellings. Conducting an archaeological dig is a slow and tedious process. In order to preserve the artifacts and structures being studied, the utmost planning and care must be taken. The teams working to study and preserve Beçin have turned to modern technology, drones, for success.

Drones with infrared cameras and LiDAR sensors can be an archeologist’s new best friend. With drones, a team can scan an area and see below the surface of the ground. The technology can show the structural integrity of buildings that are above ground as well. Using drones, archeologists can create a plan of action as to where and how to dig. The same data can be used to provide restoration plans. The images taken with drones are uploaded into a computer system that transforms them into 3D models. Repeat drone scans help to create a baseline of data comparison for these 3D models.

One of the team members working to preserve Beçin, Iskender Dölek, an academic at Turkey’s Muş Alparslan University, explained that by using drone technology they should be able to develop current databases of excavation processes. “We are performing 3D scanning with a drone with special software,” Iskender explained. “The data to be obtained is very important for sound excavations and revealing the past and present of the ancient city. The data will guide the future of archeology studies here.”

The program is being headed by Professor Kadir Pektaş from the Istanbul Medeniyet University. And though Beçin has been a site of archeological activity since 1972, it is the modern technology like drones that will see it into the next generation. In the past, Beçin has been the location of some of the most important archeological discoveries, including a cache of 60,000 coins from the Ottoman period, the largest stockpile ever found. Professor Pektaş is hopeful that drones will bring forth more important discoveries, ones that would solidify Beçin’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. “Underground radar and drone-assisted digitization studies will open new horizons in the ancient city of Beçin,” Professor Pektaş said.

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