One of the most fascinating aspects of the CORONA imagery archive now available for the Middle East is the ease with which it is possible to detect change. One is hard pressed to find areas that have been unaffected by the land-use transformations of recent decades, and in some regions the landscape preserved on CORONA imagery is totally unrecognisable today. Some of the most significant changes since the 1960s can be seen in the expansion of urban settlement, the draining of lakes and wetlands, the creation of massive dams and reservoirs, and the mechanisation and intensification of agriculture. Whatever societal or economic benefits these changes have brought, they have resulted in significant loss for the archaeological record. The following sections highlight examples of landscape change and note the effects on survival and visibility of archaeological remains.
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| File last updated: Fri Sept 21 2012