MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The rubble that was left behind after Russian forces bombed the Mariupol theater in Ukraine is just one example of the risk the war poses to important cultural sites.
That’s why the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville is working to protect natural treasures such as archaeological sites, museums and churches.
The team is using sophisticated satellite imagery from the sky to identify vulnerable sites in an effort to prevent further destruction.
“When we have the ability to do something here in southwest Virginia we’re gonna take that opportunity,” said Hayden Bassett, director of the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab. ”We just assembled the right capabilities, right people to be uniquely positioned to do this type of monitoring exactly at a time when it’s needed most.”
The lab, which was created last year, also monitors threats from climate change.