Scotland still has lots of underground passages that need to be explored.

One of these is a mysterious tunnel called souterrain, which dates back to the Iron Age. 

In the movie franchise "Indiana Jones," old tunnels are depicted as very dangerous passages. 

Although most of these tunnels don't have giant boulders or other exaggerated traps, exploring these underground passages could endanger anyone. 

Now, archeologists found a solution to explore these tunnels in Scotland that can save them time and keep their teams safe. 

Scotland's Underground Passages Now Mapped by Laser Scanners

According to The Wired's latest report, Graeme Cavers, a member of AOC Archeology Group's board of directors, and his team want to explore Scotland's souterrains. 

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Archeologists estimated that there are around 500 of these tunnels. However, the reason why they are built is still unknown. 

Some speculations claim they were used as storage for food. Others believe that they were passages for hostages or slaves. 

But these will all remain rumors until the souterrains are mapped properly. This is why laser scanners are now used to map these underground passages. 

Thanks to the laser scanners, Cavers and his team of archeologists can now map the souterrain walls more efficiently, allowing them to make millions of measurements in just a few hours.  

Because of laser scanners' effectiveness, they are now replacing theodolite, a traditional device used to make manual measurements. 

Laser Scanners Used in Other Underground Structures

Aside from Scotland's souterrains, ABC News reported that 3D laser-scanning is also used for underground mining. 

Just like tunnels, underground coal mines are also dangerous. Because of this, the Oaky Creek mine in central Queensland decided to use laser equipment to conduct Longwall mining remotely. 

This means that people no longer need to go down to slice slabs of the earth to mine for coal. You can click here to learn more about how laser scanners help miners in Queensland. 

Lasers are clearly becoming more and more advanced as the years go by. 

Previously, the world's largest laser made a breakthrough fusion reaction. 

We also reported how a YouTuber developed a laser-powered lawn mower. 

For more news updates about lasers and other similar technologies, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.  

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