Modern ‘Indiana Jones’ embarks on mission to save antiquities

“Real-world Indiana Jones” Sarah Parcak unveils a wish to enlist people around the world to help save antiquities on Tuesday during the TED conference in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo: AFP)

A technology-wielding archaeologist billed as a real-world “Indiana Jones” called Tuesday for an online platform that entices just about anyone to help find undiscovered treasures and defend archaeological wonders.

Sarah Parcak envisions a 21st-century army of citizen scientists to battle the looting and destruction of the world’s antiquities.

And now, thanks to winning this year’s coveted TED Prize, her wish may just come true.

“We are at a tipping point with our cultural heritage,” Parcak told reporters.

“We are losing the battle against looters. If we don’t do something in the next couple of years, it will be gone.”

The TED Prize provides a million dollars to kickstart a big vision and opens a door to call on the nonprofit organisation’s innovative, influential and ingenious community of “tedsters” for help.

Parcak wants people around the world to become explorers, detecting antiquities looting faster than currently possible and pointing archaeologists to promising spots on the planet.

“The only way we are going to be able to get ahead of the looters and protect sites is to engage the world and make them part of what we do as archaeologists,” Parcak said.

Her exploration includes a game with digital “cards” that people can quickly flip through to scrutinise satellite imagery for tombs, pyramids, looting “pits” and other points of potential interest to archaeologists.

Only tiny sections of imagery will be shown, along with broad location data such as what country is involved.

“The last thing we want is for looters to log-in and help find sites to loot,” Parcak said.

“The most exciting part is, it will be a game.”

Parcak condemned destruction of antiquities by the likes of violent extremists from the Islamic State group and saw looting done by the desperately poor as “heartbreaking.”

Archaeologists will follow up on sites pinpointed by the “crowd,” paving the way for protection from governments or law enforcement agencies.

Virtual explorers will visit digs using social media tools such as Periscope, Instagram and Google+.