Archaeologists are now using advanced technology to study the past without damaging ancient sites. Instead of traditional tools like pickaxes, they use detectors of subatomic particles called muons. These devices work like powerful X-ray machines, allowing researchers to see through hundreds of feet of rock. One example is an archaeological site under modern Naples, which dates back about 2,300 years to when the Greeks lived there, even before the Romans arrived.At this site, ancient burial chambers have been discovered. In one tomb, archaeologists could see the remains of a man and a woman.
Normally, eight people were buried in such chambers, but the new technology allows scientists to confirm hidden rooms without digging. The detectors revealed another burial chamber behind a wall more than three feet thick. This breakthrough helps protect historical artifacts and structures, especially in crowded urban areas like Naples, where excavating could be very difficult or dangerous.Physicists and archaeologists work together to use these muon detectors, combining science and history to explore the past safely.
The technology is changing archaeology by reducing the need for destructive excavation while revealing detailed information about ancient life, including tombs, frescoes, and human remains. By using this method, researchers can now explore ancient civilizations with minimal impact on the modern world, preserving both history and present-day cities.
Vocabulary:
• archaeologist (noun): a person who studies human history by digging up old objects
• subatomic (adj): smaller than an atom
• detector (noun): a device that finds or measures something
• muon (noun): a tiny particle used in physics experiments
• breakthrough (noun): an important discovery or achievement
• excavation (noun): the process of digging up old structures or objects
• fresco (noun): a painting done on wet plaster on walls or ceilings
• artifact (noun): an object made by humans in the past
• tomb (noun): a place where a dead person is buried