Archeology from space | Sarah Parcak

Translator: Jenny Zurawell

譯者: Vivian Mig 審譯者: June-Hao Hou

我從小在緬因州長大

When I was a child growing up in Maine,

one of my favorite things to do

兒時我最愛做的一件事就是到海邊撿拾沙海膽(海錢)

was to look for sand dollars on the seashores of Maine,

兒時我最愛做的一件事就是到海邊撿拾沙海膽(海錢)

because my parents told me it would bring me luck.

因為我爸媽說撿拾它們會帶來好運

但想也知道這些貝殼很難找

But you know, these shells, they're hard to find.

They're covered in sand, they're difficult to see.

它們被埋在沙子裡，很難發現

However, over time, I got used to looking for them.

無論如何，久而久之我就抓到訣竅了

I started seeing shapes

我開始依據它們的形狀和圖案

and patterns that helped me to collect them.

幫助我找尋沙海膽

我對尋寶的熱愛也就此產生了

This grew into a passion for finding things,

a love for the past and archaeology.

我迷上了與過去有關的事物和考古學

And eventually, when I started studying Egyptology,

終於，在我開始研究埃及古物學後

I realized that seeing with my naked eyes alone wasn't enough.

我發現光用肉眼探尋是不夠的

Because all of the sudden, in Egypt,

因為在埃及，我眼中的沙灘忽然間

my beach had grown from a tiny beach in Maine

從緬因州的小沙灘變成了一條八百英哩長的尼羅河沙灘

to one eight hundred miles long,

從緬因州的小沙灘變成了一條八百英哩長的尼羅河沙灘

next to the Nile.

從緬因州的小沙灘變成了一條八百英哩長的尼羅河沙灘

And my sand dollars had grown to the size of cities.

而我的沙海膽也變得和城市一樣巨大

而我的沙海膽也變得和城市一樣巨大

This is really what brought me to using satellite imagery.

就是因為這樣，我才開始使用衛星影像

For trying to map the past, I knew that I had to see differently.

如果想把過去完整的呈現出來，我就得從不同的角度看事情

所以我想舉個例子，讓各位知道我們是如何用紅外線來進行另類觀測

So I want to show you an example of how we see differently

using the infrared.

所以我想舉個例子，讓各位知道我們是如何用紅外線來進行另類觀測

This is a site located in the eastern Egyptian delta

這是尼羅河三角洲東部的邦狄克斯

called Mendes.

這是尼羅河三角洲東部的邦狄克斯

And the site visibly appears brown,

這個地點看起來呈現褐色

but when we use the infrared

但如果我們用用紅外線加工處理

and we process it, all of the sudden,

並加上假色影像

using false color,

the site appears as bright pink.

這個地點瞬間變成了亮粉色

What you are seeing

現在你們看到的

are the actual chemical changes to the landscape

是古代埃及人築屋的建材和活動對地表造成的化學轉變

caused by the building materials and activities

是古代埃及人築屋的建材和活動對地表造成的化學轉變

是古代埃及人築屋的建材和活動對地表造成的化學轉變

of the ancient Egyptians.

What I want to share with you today

今天我想和各位分享的

is how we've used satellite data

是我們如何藉由衛星資料

to find an ancient Egyptian city,

找到了一座消失了幾千年的埃及古城---伊塔威

called Itjtawy,

找到了一座消失了幾千年的埃及古城---伊塔威

missing for thousands of years.

找到了一座消失了幾千年的埃及古城---伊塔威

Itjtawy was ancient Egypt's capital

伊塔威曾是古埃及的首都

維持了超過四百年之久

for over four hundred years,

at a period of time called the Middle Kingdom,

這段時間大約在四千多年前古埃及的中王國時期

about four thousand years ago.

這段時間大約在四千多年前古埃及的中王國時期

The site is located in the Faiyum of Egypt,

伊塔威的地點位於埃及的法尤姆市

and the site is really important,

它的位置非常重要

because in the Middle Kingdom there was this great renaissance

因為在中王國時期，曾有一次偉大的古埃及文藝復興

for ancient Egyptian art, architecture and religion.

包括藝術、建築和宗教層面

埃及學家早就知道伊塔威的大概位置

Egyptologists have always known the site of Itjtawy

was located somewhere near the pyramids of the two kings who built it,

約莫位於某兩任法老所建的金字塔群附近

也就是圖中的紅色圈圈裡

indicated within the red circles here,

but somewhere within this massive flood plain.

在這廣大沖積平原中的某處

這個區域非常的寬廣

This area is huge --

it's four miles by three miles in size.

長寬各為四英哩和三英哩

The Nile used to flow right next to the city of Itjtawy,

尼羅河曾流經伊塔威旁邊

and as it shifted and changed and moved over time to the east,

但後來改變了流向並往東移

it covered over the city.

覆蓋了整座城市

So, how do you find a buried city

我們該如何在寬廣的平原中尋找一座埋藏在地底的城市呢？

in a vast landscape?

我們該如何在寬廣的平原中尋找一座埋藏在地底的城市呢？

Finding it randomly would be the equivalent

漫無目的的尋找只會像大海撈針一樣不切實際

漫無目的的尋找只會像大海撈針一樣不切實際

of locating a needle in a haystack,

blindfolded, wearing baseball mitts.

漫無目的的尋找只會像大海撈針一樣不切實際

(Laughter)

因此我們採用太空總署的地形資料

So what we did is we used NASA topography data

to map out the landscape, very subtle changes.

繪出地表景物上極細微的變化

We started to be able to see where the Nile used to flow.

由此可見尼羅河曾經流過的地方

你會發現更多的細節，更有趣的是

But you can see in more detail, and even more interesting,

紅色圈圈中這個微微高起的區域

this very slight raised area

seen within the circle up here

很有可能是伊塔威的所在位置

which we thought could possibly be the location of the city of Itjtawy.

很有可能是伊塔威的所在位置

So we collaborated with Egyptian scientists

於是我們和埃及科學家合作

進行岩層採樣，就像這張圖

to do coring work, which you see here.

When I say coring, it's like ice coring,

岩層採樣就像研究不同時期氣候變遷的冰層採樣

but instead of layers of climate change,

只是我們關注的是岩層中人類活動的遺跡

you're looking for layers of human occupation.

向下延伸五公尺

And, five meters down,

underneath a thick layer of mud,

在厚厚的泥層下

我們找到了一層布滿陶器的岩層

we found a dense layer of pottery.

What this shows is that at this possible location of Itjtawy,

這表示此地可能是伊塔威的所在位置

往地下延伸五公尺的地方

five meters down,

we have a layer of occupation for several hundred years,

我們找到了這片藏有數百年前人類活動遺跡的岩層

dating to the Middle Kingdom,

時間可追溯到中王國時期，伊塔威存在的確切時間

dating to the exact period of time we think Itjtawy is.

時間可追溯到中王國時期，伊塔威存在的確切時間

We also found work stone --

同時我們也找到了工藝石材

carnelian, quartz and agate

光玉隨、石英和瑪瑙

that shows that there was a jeweler's workshop here.

顯示這裡曾經有一間珠寶工坊

These might not look like much,

這些石頭看上去或許不太相符

但想想中王國時期製造珠寶最常用的石材

but when you think about the most common stones

used in jewelry from the Middle Kingdom,

但想想中王國時期製造珠寶最常用的石材

這些石頭也包含其中

these are the stones that were used.

現在我們有了一片富藏人類遺跡的岩層

So, we have a dense layer of occupation

dating to the Middle Kingdom at this site.

它的年代追溯到了中王國時期

我們也有證據顯示這裡曾有一間高檔的珠寶工坊

We also have evidence of an elite jeweler's workshop,

這表示，這裡曾經存在著一座非常重要的城市

showing that whatever was there was a very important city.

No Itjtawy was here yet,

雖然目前伊塔威的遺址尚未完整考掘

but we're going to be returning to the site

但我們近期內將會回到那裏，並重現它的完整樣貌

in the near future to map it out.

但我們近期內將會回到那裏，並重現它的完整樣貌

And even more importantly,

更重要的是

we have funding to train young Egyptians in the use of satellite technology

我們募款訓練年輕的埃及人

教他們如何利用衛星科技

so they can be the ones making great discoveries as well.

這樣他們也能成為探索偉大秘密的一員

So I wanted to end with my favorite quote from the Middle Kingdom --

最後，我想用我最愛的名言來為我的演講做結

這句話來自古埃及中王國時代

it was probably written at the city of Itjtawy

大約誕生於四千多年前的伊塔威

four thousand years ago.

"世上最偉大的使命莫過於與他人分享知識"

"Sharing knowledge is the greatest of all callings.

There's nothing like it in the land."

"世上最偉大的使命莫過於與他人分享知識"

So as it turns out, TED was not founded in 1984 AD.

很顯然，TED不是在西元一九八四年時成立的

(Laughter)

[ 笑聲 ]

Making ideas actually started in 1984 BC

西元前一九八四年的一座城市中，創造想法早已開始萌芽

而這座城市才消失不久，也被我們從空中找到了

at a not-lost-for-long city, found from above.

It certainly puts finding seashells by the seashore in perspective.

它證明了在海邊撿貝殼的方法是可行的

Thank you very much.

謝謝各位!

(Applause)

[ 掌聲 ]

Thank you.

謝謝!

(Applause)

[ 掌聲 ]