LiDAR

Lasers reveal ancient secrets

A PIONEERING project is aiming to reveal the archaeological treasures hidden in the Wyre Forest area by using laser beams shone from the sky to see through trees.
The aerial survey technique, known as LiDAR (light, detection and ranging) uses pulses of harmless energy beamed down from aircraft flying about 1,000 metres (1,093 yards) up.
The energy produces millions of three-dimensional co-ordinates, which are turned into images of the ground that look as though the trees have been stripped away.
The Forestry Commission’s Forest Research agency has teamed up with the Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service to use the technology. It will help uncover everything from ancient settlements, fortifications, farms and other signs of human activity difficult to detect with the naked eye.
Adam Mindykowski, historic environment countryside adviser for the Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, said: “The forestry commission LiDAR survey provides an unprecedented insight into the historic landscape of Wyre Forest and its hinterland.
“Early results offer a tantalising glimpse of a continually evolving, diverse and dynamic landscape.”