Deep in the forests of Neamț County, Romania, archaeologists have uncovered a 5,000-year-old fortress that had been hiding in plain sight for centuries.Thanks to some high-tech tools, researchers were able to uncover this ancient structure from a time when the world was transitioning from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.
The fortress, which had been completely obscured by thick vegetation, would have remained invisible to researchers without the help of cutting-edge LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology. This method is a real game changer in finding archaeological sites, and this discovery shows just how powerful it can be.
LiDAR Technology Unveils the Fortress
LiDAR, for those unfamiliar, is a technology that uses laser pulses to map the ground beneath dense foliage. In this case, researchers used drones equipped with LiDAR to capture an aerial view of the fortress and its surroundings.
In the past, archaeologists would have to rely on traditional methods, digging through soil, clearing vegetation, before even identifying possible sites. But with LiDAR, all that changed. The technology “scans” the ground with laser beams, measuring how long it takes for light to return to the sensor. This gives researchers precise data on the shape of the land, revealing structures that would otherwise be completely hidden. According to Vasile Diaconu, one of the archaeologists on the team:
“Thanks to current technology and using LiDAR scans I was able to obtain a faithful image of an almost 5000-year-old fortification.” He added in a Facebook post, “On this occasion, we observed details that we could not observe in the field precisely because of the vegetation.”
The Clever Location and Layout
The fortress itself is a testament to careful planning and strategic thinking. Built on high ground, it would have provided clear visibility of the surrounding area, making it easier for its inhabitants to spot potential threats. This was no accidental settlement; the location was clearly chosen for its defensive advantages. Diaconu pointed out that:
“most of the fortified sites were located in high areas, which had good visibility and were reinforced by ditches and even earthen mounds in order to increase their defensive capacity.”
But the design is also about the effort that went into its construction. LiDAR scans showed that the fortress was reinforced by ditches and earthen mounds, some of which stretch for several hundred meters,“which required considerable human effort in the construction.”
That kind of work would have taken significant time and labor, suggesting that this settlement was a serious, organized society, not just a group of people trying to survive day by day.
The Partnership that Led to the Find
The project was a collaboration between Geocad Services, Geo Edu Lab, and the National Institute for Research and Development for Earth Physics. But beyond the research institutions, this excavation brought together a teacher and his former student. Vlad Dulgheriu, now the owner of Geocad Services, reached out to Vasile Diaconu, the archaeologist who had been his teacher, to make this discovery possible.
Diaconu was quick to point out how special it was to work alongside his former student, whose company played a key role in providing the technology for the LiDAR scans.
“I’m honestly glad my former student has built his own road beautifully.”he noted, “Only by using modern technologies will we be able to better understand the complexities of archaeological sites,” he stated.
