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An increasingly important role in the study of prehistoric cultural landscapes is played nowadays by various methods of non-invasive archaeological prospection, such as aerial photography, remote sensing, airborne laser scanning and terrestrial geophysical surveying. In Polish archaeology, which has pioneered in many aspects the use of aerial photography and geophysical methods, investigations of this kind have a long history and can boast many successful applications, but the intensity of their use continues to be uneven. In the case of the region of Silesia (southwestern Poland), non-invasive prospection has been sporadic and hardly regular. However, recent projects have yielded data that will most likely increase the number of known Neolithic and Early Bronze Age sites in Silesia, especially ditch enclosures and other monuments. The implementation of modern archaeological prospection methods has often contributed to a better understanding of already recorded sites and has been beneficial not only in furthering knowledge about the past, but also in protecting the archaeological heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]