Monday, February 5, 2024

EAMENA Database of Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East & North Africa

 [First posted in AWOL 21 November 2020, updates 5 February 2024]

 EAMENA Database of Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East & North Africa

Welcome to the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East & North Africa (EAMENA) Database. Supported by Arcadia Fund and based at the Universities of Oxford, Leicester and Durham, the EAMENA Database brings together data from satellite imagery and published reports to make available information about archaeological sites and landscapes which are under threat. Using Arches, an open source platform designed by the Getty Conservation Institute and World Monuments Fund, we have been able to build a resource that can be used online by researchers and heritage professionals across the MENA region, Europe and beyond.

 

How to use the Database

How to get a general overview

The archaeology of this region can be explored via the public Database, which is available in both English and Arabic. Users can see the progress of the project so far by clicking on the Map View. This will display all the records that we have created, and it is continually updated. As the Database contains over 150,000 records, please be patient while these resources are loaded. Different types of records are coloured differently. So, for example, all our site records are in yellow. The key to the different colours is located in the Overlays tab. If you click on this, you can also select whether you want to see the site records (called Heritage Resource E27 records) displayed on the map, or all of the site records and information records (called Information Resources). Information Resources are the records of the imagery, articles, etc that we have consulted about each site. Using the Map View it is also possible to zoom in to see more details about each area. Try toggling to a full-screen view by clicking on the arrows in the top right hand corner of the map screen. To see a list of records created by the project, you can also select the Search option in the top right hand tab.

How to look at site types or examples of typical disturbances

For those interested in specific periods or site types, take a look at our pre-populated searches, available on the Search page. Simply click on one of these, such as ‘Pendant’, to see all sites in that category. You can then select the Location Filter to see the distribution of sites recorded so far in different areas.

How to look at specific sites

It is also possible to view specific sites in more detail, such as ‘Petra’ in Jordan. These case studies are available on the Search page, after the categorised searches. You will be able to explore the records – and in some cases also see ground photographs – we have recorded for these sites.

How to obtain further information about sites

For further information and sources about each site, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the next to ‘Related Resources’. Here you will find all of the reports, publications and imagery we have consulted whilst creating the record. Please note that the list of related resources is not intended to be a comprehensive record of every book or article that has mentioned a particular site. Instead, it lists the resources we have used to create our records and therefore presents a general overview and starting point for people interested in investigating the sites further.

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