Drone Ground-Penetrating Radar Transforms Archaeological Searches From Civil War Graves To Ancient Maya Cities

Photo: University of Kentucky archaeologists used drone-mounted ground-penetrating radar to search for Civil War burial sites. Photo credit: J. Cherry for the New York Times.

University of Kentucky archaeologists deployed drone-mounted ground-penetrating radar to search for 160-year-old mass graves of Black Union soldiers in Kentucky, demonstrating how aerial GPR technology is revolutionizing archaeological investigation worldwide—from forgotten burial sites to lost civilizations hidden beneath jungle canopies.

The September 2024 excavation on Jacob T. Bryan’s soybean farm near Simpsonville, Kentucky, sought remains of 22 soldiers from the Fifth U.S. Colored Cavalry who were ambushed and killed in January 1865. While the initial dig didn’t locate the graves, the technology itself represents a quantum leap in how archaeologists hunt for what lies beneath our feet.

How Drone GPR Technology Works

Dr. Philip B. Mink II, director of the Office of State Archaeology at the University of Kentucky, analyzed Bryan’s field using drone-attached and terrestrial ground-penetrating radar, along with magnetometers that detect metal objects. The drone-based system emits electromagnetic waves that penetrate soil and bounce back when encountering changes in material density—revealing potential burial sites, structures, or other subsurface anomalies without disturbing the ground.

“Dr. Mink analyzed the field with drone-attached and terrestrial ground-penetrating radar, as well as a magnetometer,” according to The New York Times.

The resulting radar images showed bright red bands indicating irregularities in the soil that suggested possible grave locations.

Ground-penetrating radar systems mounted on drones offer significant advantages over traditional ground-based surveys. According to SPH Engineering, drone-mounted GPR systems can survey large areas quickly while maintaining consistent altitude and flight patterns, producing highly accurate subsurface data. Systems like the Zond Aero series are specifically designed for medium-sized drones like the DJI M300 RTK and M600 Pro.

From Civil War Battlefields To Maya Megalopolises

The Kentucky search represents just one application of aerial GPR technology that’s transforming archaeology globally. The same fundamental technology—whether ground-based or drone-mounted—has uncovered everything from 4,000-year-old fish-trapping canals in Belize to vast Maya cities hidden beneath Central American rainforests.

In Guatemala’s Petén region, drone-based LiDAR surveys mapped more than 800 square miles (2,100 square kilometers), revealing over 60,000 previously unknown Maya structures including houses, palaces, elevated highways, and complex irrigation systems. The discoveries showed Maya civilization was far more extensive and sophisticated than previously understood.

“LiDAR is revolutionizing archaeology the way the Hubble Space Telescope revolutionized astronomy,” Francisco Estrada-Belli, a Tulane University archaeologist, told National Geographic. “We’ll need 100 years to go through all [the data] and really understand what we’re seeing.”

More recently, drone LiDAR revealed two medieval cities along the Silk Road in Uzbekistan’s mountains, marking the first-ever use of drone-based LiDAR in Central Asia. The project demonstrated that “it would have taken us a decade to map such large sites manually,” according to lead researcher Michael Frachetti.

Forensic Applications Beyond Archaeology

While LiDAR penetrates vegetation to reveal ancient structures, ground-penetrating radar excels at detecting disturbed earth and buried objects—making it valuable for contemporary forensic investigations as well as archaeological research.

Research published in 2023 demonstrated drone-based GPR systems integrated with RTK GPS for locating clandestine graves in criminal investigations. The DJI M600 Pro equipped with GPR proved effective across various decomposition stages and soil types, reaching crime scenes rapidly and surveying large areas systematically.

The technology’s forensic value extends to missing person cases. In March 2025, a New Hampshire drone operator used thermal imaging—a different but complementary aerial technology—to locate human remains in a five-year-old missing person case, surveying 75 acres of marshland with half-inch accuracy.

Technical Considerations And Limitations

Drone-based GPR systems face several practical challenges. Penetration depth depends on antenna frequency: high-frequency systems like the Zond Aero 1000 (1000 MHz) provide excellent resolution but only penetrate 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) in normal soil conditions. Lower-frequency systems like the Zond Aero LF (50-150 MHz) can penetrate 10-20 meters (33-66 feet) but with reduced resolution.

Soil composition dramatically affects performance. According to drone GPR specialists, electromagnetic waves don’t penetrate saltwater, and clay soils present significant challenges. However, a 2024 study in Israel demonstrated that drone-based GPR can work effectively even in challenging clayey soil when properly configured.

The Kentucky search illustrates these real-world limitations. Despite sophisticated technology identifying promising locations, the September excavation found no remains.

“While archaeology is not a hard science like physics or chemistry, it follows the same scientific method,” Dr. Mink explained. “In this case, the hypothesis was well supported but ultimately not correct, which is simply part of the process of science.”

DroneXL’s Take

The convergence of drone technology with ground-penetrating radar and LiDAR is fundamentally changing how we discover and understand the past. From our coverage of medieval Silk Road cities emerging from Uzbekistan’s mountains to ancient fishing infrastructure in Belize, we’ve seen aerial archaeology deliver discoveries that would have taken decades using traditional ground-based methods.

What makes this technological revolution particularly significant is how it democratizes large-scale archaeological investigation. Where manned aircraft surveys once cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, drone-based systems now enable comprehensive site mapping for a fraction of that investment. A DJI M300 RTK equipped with Zenmuse L2 LiDAR costs substantially less than chartering aircraft while delivering comparable or superior data quality.

The Kentucky Civil War grave search may not have succeeded in its immediate goal, but it demonstrates the maturation of these technologies for sensitive historical investigations. The same GPR principles that help locate ancient Maya infrastructure or identify promising excavation sites in remote mountains can assist in recovering forgotten soldiers who gave their lives for freedom.

As Dr. Mink continues surveying Bryan’s farm with refined techniques and cadaver-detection dogs, the broader archaeological community is leveraging similar drone-based systems worldwide. The question isn’t whether drones will transform archaeological discovery—they already have. The question is what lost civilizations, forgotten battlefields, and buried histories will emerge next from data streams collected by drones flying systematic patterns overhead.

What do you think about using drones for archaeological discoveries? Share your thoughts in the comments below.