0:00:03.252,0:00:04.252
How is my mic ?

0:00:05.005,0:00:08.052
Hey everyone! I’m Manon Bril, and welcome to "It’s a different story"!

0:00:08.052,0:00:09.765
And finally! Bart is back!

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He's back!

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Technology!

0:00:12.733,0:00:13.970
Future!

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Yes, I’m going overboard.

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In the last few months more than ever, technology was very useful

0:00:18.766,0:00:22.375
to do a whole lot of things that we could not do anymore. Especially meeting with each other.

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Remotely, sure, but meeting all the same.

0:00:24.646,0:00:27.267
Or keep having fun, learning, etc.

0:00:27.267,0:00:31.318
At the same time, we increasingly hear about people who want to break free from technology.

0:00:31.318,0:00:34.751
To go back to basics, to go offline. And probably quite rightly.

0:00:34.751,0:00:36.711
Yet, technology is a tool

0:00:36.711,0:00:40.051
and it all depends on how we use it, I'd like to say.

0:00:40.051,0:00:42.197
I like to say that with a hammer

0:00:42.197,0:00:45.144
one can both build things and break things.

0:00:45.144,0:00:46.065
You see?

0:00:46.065,0:00:46.986
So deep.

0:00:46.986,0:00:52.089
Anyway, technology is a tool without which we could not have done many things.

0:00:52.089,0:00:54.988
And not only confinement apéritifs, but first and foremost

0:00:54.988,0:00:57.732
well, science, of course!

0:00:57.732,0:01:00.210
That’s why today, I invite you to discover many things

0:01:00.210,0:01:03.495
that archaeologists would never have found without technology.

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If they were still digging using only trowels and pickaxes

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and drawing on graph paper

0:01:08.935,0:01:10.280
with their little plumb bobs.

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Let’s have an overview of those technologies applied to archaeology.

0:01:14.153,0:01:16.932
Not very thoroughly, but with a lot of cool examples.

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From space to the depths of the Earth.

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From the infinitely large to the infinitely small.

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Well, infinitely large, infinitely small… it’s a figure of speech, but it sounds cool.

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In any case: yes! We’ll start off in space!

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Wut? Space, Manon?

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But isn’t archaeology about scraping around the ground

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to find information and vestiges?

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Well, let me tell you, my little chickens, that an important step in archaeology

0:01:39.848,0:01:41.116
is prospection.

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Really, this position is anything but natural.

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And archaeologists got plenty of ways to prospect.

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A lil’ cat.

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They can comb through an area to try to spot pieces of ceramics on the surface

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or fragments of statues laying around.

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Thanks to technology, they can also try to get an overview

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to discover sites by using satellites.

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It’s possible to see ancient human settlements from space

0:02:04.365,0:02:08.155
provided that there is little vegetation or urban development.

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This method was tested in South America

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and made it possible to compare ground surveys with satellite imagery

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and even to discover unprecedented high-altitude strongholds.

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It is also possible to discover sites in even more surprising ways

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in places where you should think twice before going on a stroll.

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As is the case in Afghanistan.

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Not always easy to walk around and work there as an archaeologist.

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Don’t forget that it’s still a zone of conflict.

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Yet, satellites have produced wonderful pictures

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of caravanserais, underground canals, or outposts.

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This changed radically our historical hypotheses on trade

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because, prior to these discoveries, researchers thought that sea trading routes

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had rapidly made land routes obsolete.

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But let’s be honest, the national budget for Arts and Culture doesn’t really allow

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to launch space programs just for archaeological purposes.

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This means that such data depends on governmental or commercial satellites

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that are already orbiting around the Earth.

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So, when scientists want to have a look at a very specific location

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but can’t afford to launch or hijack a satellite

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well, they can resort to planes.

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And that’s all thanks to technology!

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We’ve been practicing aerial archaeology for ages.

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Since Roger Agache in the 60s.

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And one thing we know is that it works rather well.

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Aerial pictures are taken in spring

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because fields will grow and ripen evenly

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except on top of vestiges or underground ditches where moisture is trapped.

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The differences in colours will reveal where the constructions are

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and this way, it’s possible to encompass thousands of hectares all at once.

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And it’s all thanks to technology.

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Aerial prospection is not as accurate as an actual archaeological operation

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but it allows to perceive archaeological structures and density

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that are beyond the scope of an excavation.

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Residential areas and their necropolises, land plots, roads and access paths, and so on.

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This information is highly valuable for the excavation

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and study of each site.

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[and this data help improve the national archaeological map]

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[This map helps public authorities decide whether rescue archeology is needed]

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And that’s all thanks to technology!

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Technologyyy!

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Anyway, a plane is… well technology. Yeah, that’s cool.

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It fucks the Earth u-

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Yet, we can go even further using LiDAR.

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[bad pun with “lit d’art” = art bed[br]And the French pronunciation of “LiDAR”]

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Ew, nope.

0:04:23.362,0:04:25.033
“What is LiDAR?” you ask me

0:04:25.033,0:04:26.509
Well, calm down, I tell you

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Simply put, it’s a bit like the sonar systems found on ships

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except here, they don’t use a soundwave but a laser

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which makes it possible to draw impressively accurate topographic maps.

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With it, archaeologists can estimate the locations of buildings, developments

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and even discover things they had not spotted beforehand

0:04:43.951,0:04:46.637
during the preliminary ground surveys.

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And it’s all thanks to technology!

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Here is an example:

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The abandoned medieval hamlet of Bois des Cestre, in Côte d’Or

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studied by Franck Faucher, and where the use of LiDAR

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helped uncover a path connecting a house to a water source.

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This helped understand a bit more the daily life

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of the people who lived 300 metres from the well.

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It was their water supply.

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That’s the benefit of LiDAR.

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It can map the ground without being hindered by vegetation

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which gives a more realistic overview of the area.

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Another example that got much more media attention and that you’ve probably heard of

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was the use of LiDAR to uncover about 60,000 Maya infrastructures.

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This had a huge impact on the way we viewed this civilisation

0:05:33.699,0:05:37.313
but to learn more on that topic, on that specific example, you can watch the video

0:05:37.313,0:05:41.737
by Léa Belot on “Zeste de Science”, the channel of the French National Centre for Scientific Research,

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featuring Clotilde from “Passé Sauvage” who is also an archaeologist.

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So, the emergence of LiDAR was a real game-changer

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because before scientists started to use it

0:05:49.986,0:05:54.579
only 5-to-10% of the structures were identified from ground surveys.

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Finally, last method to get a bird’s-eye view

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in case you’re not Elon Musk or the proud owner of an aircraft equipped with LiDAR technology.

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I’m not.

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Actually, I’m not even an archaeologist, I don’t know what the hell I would do with it.

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You can climb up a very tall ladder.

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Convenient.

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(it's a joke)

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As drones are becoming more and more widespread, they are increasingly used on excavation sites.

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And more particularly, on very large sites.

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Obviously, drones, just like aircrafts or satellites

0:06:21.569,0:06:24.375
can be used to do aerial prospection

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and scientists fly them over areas where they suspect that sites might be buried.

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And if the site is huge…

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For instance, the Maya site was 2,100km² (810 square miles).

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It’s ok.

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In that case, we can’t get a good overview of the site from the ground.

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The drone, on the other hand, can get close enough to scan the area with more accuracy.

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As always, in archaeology

0:06:44.067,0:06:47.264
you just need to take the tools that best meet your need

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and it’s…

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All thanks to technology!

0:06:51.276,0:06:53.231
You’re so done with this sentence.

0:06:53.273,0:06:54.670
On top of that, we can say that drones

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are the best device to take on-site pictures or videos

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without stepping on what you have just cleaned up to get nice images.

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It's true.

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To illustrate this, let’s have a look at the pictures taken by the INRAP

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the French National Institute for Rescue Archeology

0:07:09.647,0:07:12.886
with which we are collaborating for this video.

0:07:12.886,0:07:14.040
We thank them, we’re very happy.

0:07:14.040,0:07:16.108
Images taken, more particularly, in Puy-de-Dôme

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on a megalithic site that covers 16,000m² (19,135 square yards).

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Can you imagine how time-saving that is?

0:07:22.091,0:07:24.246
To use a drone to take some pictures

0:07:24.246,0:07:27.628
instead of having to move all your stuff to gain some height and take pictures

0:07:27.628,0:07:30.065
just to climb down and do it all over again 10 metres away.

0:07:30.065,0:07:32.361
And it’s all thanks to technology!

0:07:32.361,0:07:33.440
Technology!

0:07:33.440,0:07:35.512
The advantage is that, on top of striking a good balance

0:07:35.512,0:07:39.110
between getting an overview of the vestiges and the precision of the details

0:07:39.110,0:07:43.261
when you’re at ground-level, it can be hard to understand the chronology of a site

0:07:43.261,0:07:47.340
or the different stages of construction if you can’t sketch the whole on a plan.

0:07:47.340,0:07:51.656
The principle of rescue archaeology is to search a site within a limited time

0:07:51.656,0:07:55.982
before infrastructures, parking lots, highways, etc. are built.

0:07:55.982,0:07:57.853
And above all, to do it well.

0:07:57.860,0:08:01.349
We know how to search well. But searching within limited times…

0:08:01.349,0:08:04.471
Well, quite frankly, when you have a drone that can get the job done in two hours

0:08:04.471,0:08:06.006
it comes in rather handy.

0:08:06.006,0:08:07.091
Let’s be honest here.

0:08:07.091,0:08:08.731
No, no. No dishonesty between us.

0:08:08.731,0:08:09.602
No, no, no.

0:08:09.602,0:08:15.203
Another advantage of drones is that by taking pictures and videos of an area in a very short time

0:08:15.203,0:08:20.519
the light is going to be similar on all of the pictures of the site.

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First, no shadow will have moved, which won’t difficult our comprehension of the structures.

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And we also get good-quality pictures with which we can play around

0:08:28.578,0:08:31.222
but we’ll come back to that once we’ve left the field.

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So, if you’re a bit scared of flying like I am.

0:08:34.709,0:08:36.955
Yes. It happens. Even to the best of us.

0:08:36.955,0:08:41.630
Well, rest assured, we’ll now go back down to that good ol’ ground.

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More precisely, we’ll go underground.

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As, you know, excavation techniques have greatly benefited from technology!

0:09:02.069,0:09:04.419
Did you get that it was the topic of the video?

0:09:04.419,0:09:08.578
Those technologies and techniques are used by one of the INRAP research units

0:09:08.578,0:09:11.967
which is responsible for excavating deep archaeological sites.

0:09:12.697,0:09:15.288
By deep, I mean everything that is below the surface.

0:09:15.288,0:09:19.279
This implies specific search conditions where light

0:09:19.279,0:09:22.027
construction props, and water seepage will be major concerns.

0:09:22.027,0:09:24.839
Or even just having enough space to turn around.

0:09:26.949,0:09:27.944
Can’t move.

0:09:28.188,0:09:29.209
Small tunnels.

0:09:29.530,0:09:34.270
For instance, some statues were found a few metres under the surface at the well of Trémuson.

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To understand how they got there, archaeologists must use saws

0:09:37.093,0:09:39.018
and be able to understand the stratigraphy.

0:09:39.018,0:09:43.648
By using metallic props, ropes, and some speleology techniques

0:09:43.648,0:09:47.905
the team that studied the well were able to understand better

0:09:47.905,0:09:50.516
how those statues ended up at the bottom of the well.

0:09:51.586,0:09:52.503
Maybe you’re thinking:

0:09:52.863,0:09:55.016
“By the way, why do they bother studying wells?

0:09:55.016,0:09:58.438
“Isn’t it enough that know that kids from the area came there to get water?”

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Well, if we just wanted to know where they got water: yes, it’s enough.

0:10:01.661,0:10:04.365
In fact, wells are valuable archives.

0:10:04.365,0:10:06.269
As they are designed as water tanks

0:10:06.269,0:10:09.247
they stay very humid even once they are abandoned

0:10:09.247,0:10:14.198
and can preserve many items that are useful to understand the surface world

0:10:14.198,0:10:16.981
So, you can find wood, pollen, animal remains, etc.

0:10:16.981,0:10:19.347
For example, the INRAP looked into wells in Brittany

0:10:19.347,0:10:22.088
and were able to extract more than 10,000 samples to study.

0:10:22.088,0:10:26.701
This way, we know what types of plants and animals lived on the territory

0:10:26.701,0:10:31.980
and we can paint a picture of what the lifestyle, environment and landscape were like at that time.

0:10:31.980,0:10:35.014
And it’s all thanks to technology!

0:10:35.014,0:10:38.219
It’s also possible to go underground, deeper than wells

0:10:38.219,0:10:40.787
to sometimes hard-to-reach mines and quarries

0:10:40.787,0:10:43.679
and there is a particular type of deep site archaeology

0:10:43.679,0:10:46.552
developed specifically for the study of those areas.

0:10:46.552,0:10:50.866
To uncover those vestiges, archaeologists use the same technology as speleologists

0:10:50.866,0:10:54.715
but their methods have been adapted to this special underground environment.

0:10:54.715,0:10:56.496
Thanks to miniaturisation.

0:10:56.496,0:10:59.232
Mi-nia-tu-ri-sa-tion. Right kiddo, not an easy word to say.

0:10:59.232,0:11:02.621
Thanks to the miniaturisation and increased autonomy of strong lightning systems

0:11:02.621,0:11:08.405
the quality of the excavations was increased, and the safety and comfort of archaeologists was ensured.

0:11:08.405,0:11:12.569
Now, let’s stay a bit longer on the field to explore even further.

0:11:12.569,0:11:13.905
And, one advice:

0:11:13.905,0:11:15.462
Put your swimsuit on!

0:11:16.483,0:11:17.110
(splash)

0:11:17.368,0:11:20.231
Yes, in the air or underground, it’s alright, you’re on dry land.

0:11:20.231,0:11:21.021
And you can breathe.

0:11:21.021,0:11:23.346
But when looking for shipwrecks

0:11:23.346,0:11:26.370
or ancient human settlements covered by water…

0:11:26.370,0:11:28.159
Well… you can't.

0:11:28.159,0:11:29.130
Easy as that.

0:11:29.130,0:11:32.516
Since 2007, the DRASSM has been working on the topic.

0:11:32.516,0:11:36.575
It stands for “Department for Underwater and Subaquatic Archaeological Research”.

0:11:37.315,0:11:39.286
The name speaks for itself.

0:11:39.286,0:11:42.224
In the last ten years, they have made considerable progress.

0:11:42.224,0:11:48.521
From the small Speedy, an underwater drone that can grab things with its three-fingered hand.

0:11:49.041,0:11:50.252
Like E.T.

0:11:50.252,0:11:51.310
E.T.’s got three fingers.

0:11:51.310,0:11:55.323
To the atmospheric diving suit which can go up to 300 metres deep.

0:11:55.323,0:11:58.925
And it’s all thanks to technology!

0:11:59.305,0:12:03.672
Thanks to all those small improvements, we’re slowly pushing back the limits on the field

0:12:03.756,0:12:07.979
but don’t forget that in archaeology, there is as much fieldwork as lab work.

0:12:07.979,0:12:13.141
Yes, let’s now have a look at what happens after excavation works.

0:12:16.321,0:12:17.900
Let’s go to the lab.

0:12:18.720,0:12:20.949
Remember when I said that drones and speleology techniques

0:12:20.949,0:12:22.963
could be useful for many things?

0:12:22.963,0:12:24.250
Well, we’re coming back to it now.

0:12:24.250,0:12:26.721
Let’s talk photogrammetry.

0:12:27.171,0:12:28.287
What is it?

0:12:28.287,0:12:30.920
Same as ever. I’ll explain it.

0:12:30.920,0:12:32.567
I’ll tell you everything.

0:12:34.737,0:12:37.313
Simply put, you take a lot of pictures on a site.

0:12:37.313,0:12:38.839
Pictures of an object, of a structure…

0:12:38.839,0:12:41.681
Throw them all in the right software.

0:12:41.681,0:12:42.720
Hop, shaky shaky

0:12:42.720,0:12:43.611
And poof!

0:12:43.611,0:12:44.724
No sponsored products.

0:12:44.724,0:12:45.474
And poof!

0:12:45.474,0:12:50.229
You get a 3D model with which you can play around, take measurements

0:12:50.229,0:12:52.456
highlight some things

0:12:52.456,0:12:56.764
and compare it with all the models made for other sites.

0:12:56.764,0:12:59.875
And it’s all thanks to technology.

0:12:59.875,0:13:00.803
Well done, Bart!

0:13:00.803,0:13:02.055
It’s all thanks to technology.

0:13:02.055,0:13:06.015
Alright, put like that, it sounds easy because it’s not very hard to make a 3D model

0:13:06.015,0:13:10.948
but making a scientifically correct model, it's a different story.

0:13:10.948,0:13:13.064
Let’s have a look back at the mines we talked about earlier.

0:13:13.064,0:13:16.946
The goal of that study was to check the reliability of this technique

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by comparing it to hand-made surveys

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and to test shooting methods

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in underground situations where there is no natural light.

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First, this method helps understand how the mine was built

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because the 3D model makes it possible to study each modelized gallery from every angle

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and this showed that the accuracy photogrammetry

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is similar to that of hand-drawn maps.

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Another great and fundamental thing with photogrammetry

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is that it’s possible to artificially light a model.

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This way, it’s possible to move shadows around to identify relief or woodwork

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Such as...

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Beams!

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And wellheads

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that are not always easy to spot when you’re facing a wall.

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So, data on underground structures is obtained from pictures taken by archaeologists

0:13:58.350,0:13:59.923
and sometimes by robots.

0:13:59.923,0:14:01.379
But remember, on the surface

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archaeologists can simply use pictures taken by drones.

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The models obtained from those pictures are superimposed on the hand-made surveys

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with a very small margin of error.

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Depending on the quality of the pictures, it’s possible to zoom in on the models

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or to use 3D rendering to test out hypotheses

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and simulate how the local living environment and landscape were.

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And it’s all thanks to technology.

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And of course, when talking about archaeology

0:14:24.145,0:14:28.949
the discovery of tombs or necropolises is a common topic

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to which photogrammetry benefitted a lot as well.

0:14:32.101,0:14:35.956
One of the big questions about death rites

0:14:35.956,0:14:37.679
that archaeologists studying tombs try to answer is:

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“How do the living honour the deceased during the burial process?”

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So, they look at how the deceased were treated.

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We talked a bit about that in the last video on sexism and archaeology.

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Were they buried? If so, in a casket? In a simple burial shroud?

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With furniture? Offerings? Etc.

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Many elements that will impact the position of the bodies.

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When they decompose, the bones will move and indicate the type of burial

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and the first position of the deceased.

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Insane, isn't it?

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It’s a tad more complicated than that, but you got the idea.

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Well, thanks to photogrammetry, it’s possible to better study

0:15:13.387,0:15:17.644
the burial context when excavating the tomb.

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And here too, the advantage is that it saves a tremendous amount of time.

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So, photogrammetry is halfway between

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treatment on the field and analysis in the lab.

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But now, let’s dive even deeper

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in the post-excavation world.

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Speaking about excavating tombs and using new technologies

0:15:36.566,0:15:38.879
let’s talk about the ancient cat mummy

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kept at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rennes.

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And this time, it was studied by using tomography.

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“What is tomography, Manon?”

0:15:46.041,0:15:50.484
Well, it’s X-ray scanning each layer of an object

0:15:50.484,0:15:53.992
depending on the density of the different elements making up those layers.

0:15:53.992,0:15:58.060
The results were astounding because the analysis revealed

0:15:58.060,0:16:00.887
the absence of a skull, vertebrae, and ribs

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and the presence of bones belonging to several cats.

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For example, there were 5 hind legs, 3 nearly complete cat tails…

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So, this cat mummy was actually a mummy made of various spare parts.

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- A sort of puzzle-cat?

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Yeah, a puzzle-cat or a…

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Frankencat.

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Yes, it was a real Frankenstein mummy.

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There are many hypotheses concerning

0:16:22.091,0:16:23.153
the motives of this mummification.

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But it’s only through the development of such studies

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that we’ll know if this practice was an exception

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or if it was a common occurrence among pet embalmers.

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Simply put, with today’s technology, it’s nearly possible to perform autopsies

0:16:37.487,0:16:40.520
on bodies found on archaeological sites.

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And it’s all thanks to technology!

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Now, let’s leave the macabre realm of the dead.

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Pleonasm.

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To look at the furniture present in the tombs.

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Alright, it’s still the world of the dead.

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Among many famous French tombs

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the tomb in Lavaux was investigated not long ago.

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In it, archaeologists found very-high-quality furniture

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on which they performed a great number of lab tests.

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They even showed that the torque, a sort of Celtic necklace

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and the bracelets worn by the deceased in the tomb

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were polished in some places due to the friction with the skin and/or clothes.

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Talk about insane details.

0:17:16.744,0:17:19.557
It shows that, the deceased was buried

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wearing jewels that they had worn in their daily life.

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Metal items are also carefully studied

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to identify the proportions of each metal in the alloys

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and the crafting techniques: smelting or hammering, for example.

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In 2017, the CRAHAM

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the French Centre for Medieval and Ancient Archaeological Research

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invited an INRAP team to study ceramics

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from the early High Middle Ages in Île-de-France.

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After a visual identification of various types of ceramics

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associated with more than 250 surveyed sites

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it was possible to measure the chemical elements

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contained in the terracotta to identify

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where the clay used to craft these ceramics came from.

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And it’s all thanks to technology.

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You know the drill by now.

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Each clay has its own chemical composition

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so, when two ceramics share the same chemical composition

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it can be concluded that the clay used to craft them

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came from the same area.

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Therefore, researchers have tried to link the production sites

0:18:24.477,0:18:28.043
to the diffusion areas, where those potteries were sold

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by measuring their petrographical composition.

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That’s how it’s called.

0:18:32.501,0:18:33.712
I don’t know if I told you.

0:18:33.712,0:18:35.987
“Petrographical composition”. I don’t think I did, but now you know.

0:18:35.987,0:18:40.421
So, those were many, many, many, many, many, many, many things

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that archaeologists would not have discovered without technology.

0:18:43.122,0:18:45.201
It’s all thanks to technology.

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You too, during these strange times, as it’s not easy to drive around

0:18:49.462,0:18:52.816
and find open cultural places or events

0:18:52.816,0:18:56.903
thanks to technology, you’ll be able to discover a lot of things.

0:18:56.903,0:18:59.215
What a clever transition.

0:18:59.215,0:19:02.464
Because this year, the European Archaeology Days,

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that, each year, allow you to discover archaeological sites and work

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will be mostly held online.

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They will be held on June 19, 20, and 21 2020, so, next weekend, then.

0:19:13.138,0:19:17.070
During those three days, it will be possible to discover archaeological sites

0:19:17.070,0:19:20.751
through online tours, or 3D rendering

0:19:20.751,0:19:23.288
talk with archaeologists livestreaming on Facebook

0:19:23.288,0:19:25.559
follow the work routine of researchers on Twitter

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and listen to podcasts, watch movies, virtual exhibits…

0:19:29.309,0:19:31.955
And that’s all thanks to technology!

0:19:31.955,0:19:34.693
And also, in places where hygiene measures allow it

0:19:34.693,0:19:38.084
and if you’re close enough, you can visit a site

0:19:38.084,0:19:43.105
or an archaeological monument, a museum that displays archaeological collections…

0:19:43.105,0:19:46.573
Friday will be dedicated to classes and children

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who will enjoy many pedagogical and fun activities.

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You can find all the info on the site of the European Archaeological Days.

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Everything is in the description, as usual.

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We made this video in collaboration with the INRAP which organises those European Days.

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We thank them very much, we’re very happy!

0:20:02.526,0:20:04.629
And as for you, my lil’ Wut-ists…

0:20:05.112,0:20:05.439
W-

0:20:05.553,0:20:06.345
Wut…

0:20:07.275,0:20:09.322
Find a name for the community, I trust you guys.

0:20:09.398,0:20:12.551
Well, many thanks for watching this video, thanks again for being here.

0:20:12.551,0:20:16.184
A huge thanks to our tippers which allow us to remain autonomous

0:20:16.184,0:20:19.248
to pay the cameraman when he gets out of confinement.

0:20:22.172,0:20:27.337
As you know, those who donate on Tipeee or join the Youtube channel

0:20:27.337,0:20:30.142
will be able to enjoy the animated episodes before everybody else.

0:20:30.142,0:20:33.022
Remember, I told you we were taking a break for the summer.

0:20:33.022,0:20:36.887
We’ll come back in September, actually probably in October.

0:20:36.897,0:20:40.483
Anyway, in the meantime, take care!

0:20:40.654,0:20:43.959
Here, we’re going to relax, but we send you…

0:20:43.959,0:20:45.324
Lots of kisses.

0:20:45.373,0:20:46.829
See you next time. Kiss kiss.