The value of using Google Earth

[ValentinianVictrix]

I have found using Google Earth of immense value in helping to discover where possible Roman and other historical sites are located. For instance, a friend of mine discovered the remains of a Moat & Bailey type Norman castle near Folkestone, Kent, England, and said remains were unknown at the time. I myself used Google Earth to try and discover where the Roman camp where the army of Valens encamped at Adrianopolis was (now modern Edirne in Turkey) and I believed I had found said camp, with two other possible camp sites as well. Unfortunately, I have not used Google Earth for several years now and when I reinstalled it last week I was horrified to discover that a group of new buildings have been built on top of where I believed the Roman camp was!

Has anyone else used Google Earth to good effect?

[Robert Vermaat]

Yes, I traced parts of Wansdyke through Wiltshire and Somerset. But be careful, it's difficult if not impossible to determine the age of the 'traces' you see from the air. Your 'Roman camp' may once have been a site for a group of labourers in the 16th c. hock: Only ground work will determine that.

[Jona Lendering]

Has anyone else used Google Earth to good effect?

It usually helps me understand sites I like to visit. You can download my file from this page.

[John1]

Google earth was a key tool in the Church Stowe study here;
http://www.craftpegg.com/Battle_Church_Stowe_CP.pdf

It's handy being able to scroll back to older aerials of the same site, no doubt that library will continue to grow

[PhilusEstilius]

I found the old Google Earth very useful indeed for my late friend Raymond Selkirk found many unknoen Roman forts and roads all over the north of England.
In his books he listed them with Grid Reference numbers so for my home page I use a web site that converts grid to lat/long, then by bringing up my home page from the task bar over Google Earth I can then reduce the home page and can then work with google earth where I can zoom directly to these places after conversion.
However when working with google eath to think you have found something new one has to be aware of so many things, for it is so easy to be mistaken about what one might think to be a road and it is in fact an underground pipe line or some other distraction.