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Satellite remote sensing is playing an increasingly important role in the detection and documentation of archaeologicalsites. Surveying an area from the ground using traditional methods often presents challenges due to the time and costsinvolved. In contrast, the multispectral synoptic approach afforded by the satellite sensor makes it possible to covermuch larger areas in greater spectral detail and more cost effectively. This is especially the case for larger scale regionalsurveys, which are helping to contribute to a better understanding of ancient Egyptian settlement patterns. This studypresents an overview of satellite remote sensing data products, methodologies, and image processing techniques fordetecting lost or undiscovered archaeological sites with reference to Egypt and the Near East. Key regions of theelectromagnetic spectrum useful for site detection are discussed, including the visible near-infrared (VNIR), shortwaveinfrared (SWIR), thermal infrared (TIR), and microwave (radar). The potential of using Google Earth as both a dataprovider and a visualization tool is also examined. Finally, a case study is presented for detecting tell sites in Egypt usingLandsat ETM+, ASTER, and Google Earth imagery. The results indicated that principal components analysis (PCA) wassuccessfully able to detect and differentiate tell sites from modern settlements in Egypt’s northwestern Nile Delta region.