Aerial lidar mapping can reveal archaeological sites while overlooking Indigenous peoples and their knowledge

Aerial lidar mapping can reveal archaeological sites while overlooking Indigenous peoples and their knowledge

An aerial lidar survey can 'see' beneath the forest canopy. Photodisc via Getty ImagesPicture an aircraft streaking across the sky at hundreds of miles per hour, unleashing millions of laser pulses into a dense tropical forest. The objective: map thousands of square miles, including the ground beneath the canopy, in fine detail within a matter of days. Once the stuff of science fiction, aerial lidar – light detection and ranging – is transformin…