Why drones are a game-changer for archaeologists protecting heritage sites

No longer just a novel method of snapping photographs from the air, this evolving technology is now transforming how experts discover, monitor, and protect world heritage. In Peru, for example, a team has recently used drones to monitor nine archaeological sites, revealing how both natural hazards and human activities are impacting them over time. 

By flying over the same sites in the Barranca Valleys and recording them through photogrammetry—a method of creating 3D imagery—they have made a detailed record of degradation that will help to guide future preservation efforts.

Writing in the Journal of Field Archaeology, Edyta Puniach of AGH University of Krakow explained how she and her colleagues originally planned to time their flights with a mega-El Niño weather event. 

They expected that the heavy rainfall would give them the perfect chance to record its before-and-after impact on the Barranca Valleys’ heritage sites, including Huaricanga, a major administrative and ceremonial centre from around 3000BC. 

But when the extreme rains failed to materialise after their first drone flights in November 2023, the team used their aerial surveys to instead provide insights into how these sites fare during “ordinary” natural events and human activities: the movement of sand dunes, the impact of rivers and even illegal excavations.