Space Imaging Reveals Hidden Heritage

A NASA image‑processing technique (decorrelation stretch), developed for Mars and Earth remote sensing, has been adapted into open tools and phone apps (DStretch) that enhance faint pigments and reveal previously invisible rock art and wall paintings. The approach lets amateurs and small teams surface archaeological details from ordinary photos, turning widely available imagery into a tool for cultural discovery and documentation. — Democratizing high‑end remote‑sensing methods shifts control over discovery and preservation of cultural heritage, raising issues of authentication, stewardship, illicit excavation, and who gets to curate the record.