Muon tomography: a first iteration

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: Breaking ground without digging: In first, archaeologists ‘X-ray’ Jerusalem’s hidden layers. Israeli researchers use muon detectors, which detect elementary particles akin to heavy electrons, to reveal subterranean cavities; hope method will be deployed across the world (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).

In a groundbreaking achievement that requires no actual breaking of ground, Israeli researchers have demonstrated the archaeological utility of a technology that acts like an “X-ray” for the Earth, revealing hidden spaces beneath an ancient site in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University announced Monday.

Combining physics and archaeology, the scientists deployed a detection system based on muons — elementary particles akin to heavy electrons — to scan for underground hollows and cavities in the City of David site, just outside of Jerusalem’s Old City walls in the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan.

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The open-access underlying article is published in the Journal of Applied Physics:

First demonstration of underground muon imaging at an archaeological site in ancient Jerusalem
Special Collection: Muography: Discoveries, Innovations, and Applications
Y. Benhammou; E. Etzion Corresponding Author; Y. Gadot; O. Lipschits; G. Mizrachi; Y. Shalev; Y. Silver; A. Weissbein; I. Zolkin
J. Appl. Phys. 138, 084504 (2025) [Volume 138, Issue 8 28 August 2025]
https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0273376

We present a novel underground imaging system that utilizes cosmic-ray muons to explore the subsurface environment at the City of David archeological site in ancient Jerusalem. The method exploits the fact that muons lose energy as they travel through matter, with attenuation depending on the integrated density along their path. By tracking muon trajectories through a multi-layered, scintillator-based detector, we reconstruct angular flux distributions and infer variations in overburden density. This report details initial findings from measurements conducted at a large rock-hewn installation, commonly known as “Jeremiah’s cistern.” A high-resolution LiDAR scan of the interior was combined with muon flux simulations to map structural anomalies. The system successfully identifies variations in ground opacity, demonstrating the viability of muon tomography for archeological imaging in complex environments. This work represents a significant interdisciplinary effort to deepen our understanding of this historical site.

If you think the abstract is technical, try reading the article! But part IV of the latter is pretty accessible.

Again, non-intrusive and non-destructive technologies are the way of the future for archaeology.

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