The use of KidSat images in the further pursuit of the frankincense roads to Ubar

A small team of middle and high school students used space shuttle images from the KidSat camera to conduct remote archaeology in an attempt to find indications of ancient "lost" cities, structures, or caravan routes in the Arabian desert. Working with scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, archaeologists from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO, and geographers from Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA, students utilized a variety of data and resources, including images taken from the space shuttle, Landsat images, Tactical Pilotage Charts (TPCs), Operational Navigation Charts (ONCs), archaeological maps, primary historical accounts, image processing tools, and secondary text and internet sources to hypothesize the many possible trade routes. In this research, the student team encountered and applied unique features of the KidSat images to this investigation.