Heatwave reveals England's lost prehistoric sites

[Becky]

This is fascinating! We may have grumbled about the lack of rain, but every cloud...

The heatwave has continued to reveal details of England's ancient past to archaeologists.

Surveys from the air have revealed Neolithic ceremonial monuments, Iron Age settlements, square burial mounds and a Roman farm for the first time.

Historic England said the weather "provided the perfect conditions" to see the crop marks because of the lack of moisture in the soil.

Heatwave reveals England's lost prehistoric sites

 

[Sheal]

Fascinating!

 

[La Garden]

It is interesting.
Have not look in a while, but when the story first broke I looked at all the pictures of sites at that time. Should be millions more now.

 

[Becky]

I find it incredible that we're able to see so much detail without even disturbing the ground. What a great opportunity!

 

[Leeski]

think it’s amazing there making a documentary about it can’t wait blows my mind to think what’s been on our land in the past a empty looking field has a deep past

 

[roadrunner]

I find it incredible that we're able to see so much detail without even disturbing the ground. What a great opportunity!

I don't understand how it is we see the details.

From the pic it seems as though the vegetation is simply greener than the other vegetation. That doesn't make sense.

 

[La Garden]

found a current video

 

[Becky]

That's a really interesting video @La Garden

@roadrunner if you skip to 4:50 in the video there's a very good explanation of why these sites appear. In brief, the greener vegetation grows over old ditches, where there is a deeper layer of soil and therefore better moisture retention. The lighter / brown vegetation indicates that there is something under the soil, such as building foundations, meaning that the layer of soil is thinner and will be more badly affected by drought.

 

[La Garden]

Just happen to turn on The Great British Baking Show. It is raining. Now that I think about it every show I happen to catch it is raining. I am guessing each show is filmed over a week. So if water is that accessible all the time root systems are not going to go very deep. I can see why old structures show up so easy in a little change in the normal rain pattern.

 

[Mike Allen]

I don't understand how it is we see the details.

From the pic it seems as though the vegetation is simply greener than the other vegetation. That doesn't make sense.

The vegitation become affected by the reduction of moisture. The photsynthesis slows down, the plants absorption of carbon dioxide changes and less oxygen is produced. Changes in nitrogen and chlorophyl are reduced. Even the hydrogen levels pH can change. The various natural gases in the atmosphere existing between ground level and the camera/viewing lens act like the focusing system on a camera or microscope. Hence the depth of field is experienced. Hope this helps.