Who made these markings in the Iranian desert?

A geographer emailed me a question. Could I solve it on the internet?

Deep in the southeast corner of Iran, there’s a stretch of desert covered in countless strange markings. They vary slightly in orientation and size, but they’re all roughly the same shape: curved lines, almost like fish scales. The markings surround a remote village nestled between mountains, just over 100 kilometers from the border with Pakistan. And at first glance, I had no idea what they could be.

I first heard about this place from a geographer named Dale Lightfoot, who had found them on Google Earth while doing his own research. He didn’t know what they were, and neither did any of the fellow experts he asked. The question sent me down a rabbit hole of social media geolocation, research papers, and Instagram DMs — and the answer I found told a fascinating story of how one community was building toward a better future.

Sonraki bölüm

S2025E02 - This site lets you spy on people. Are you one of them?