Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa
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EAMENA was established in January 2015 with support from Arcadia in response to the increasing threats to archaeological sites in the Middle East and North Africa. The project is led by the University of Oxford, with teams at the Universities of Durham and Leicester. Substantial additional funds have been awarded by the Cultural Protection Fund to provide training to professional staff in the countries of the region and help establish Historic Environment Records (HERs) - national heritage databases. These are a vital tool in the protection and management of cultural heritage.
EAMENA uses satellite imagery to rapidly record and make available information about archaeological sites and landscapes. Additional data is gathered from previous surveys and from ground checking the results of the remote sensing survey. As training proceeds, increasing amounts of data are recorded by heritage staff in the countries of the region or by volunteers.
All the data collected is recorded in EAMENA’s spatial database – using the ARCHES platform developed by the Getty Conservation Institute and the World Monuments Fund. The project specifically records actual and potential threats and damage to sites, allowing an assessment of risk to be made. Not all damage and threats to the archaeology can be prevented, but they can be mitigated and so at the core of our project is the desire for excellence in heritage management. To this end, EAMENA works with relevant authorities in each country to limit likely damage, share information and skills, strengthen networks and raise awareness.
Whilst not all damage and threats to the archaeology of the MENA region can be prevented, they can be monitored and mitigated. We hope you will visit the EAMENA Database and see how the project is developing. For more information please check out our Twitter feed or Facebook page . If you have any feedback about the project please get in touch with us at eamena@arch.ox.ac.uk .
If you want to support the work of the team, please use the Support Us link.
