Site Destruction in the Iraqi Jazirah: a satellite imagery assessment (English)

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Dr Emma Cunliffe brings our attention to the importance of considering the significant damage caused by agriculture, development, irrigation and infrastructure protects to less visible sites and features, such as holloways.

The Northern Jazira in Iraq is an area with a long, rich settlement history that includes small early settlements, multi-period tell sites, and a wide variety of later settlement and off-site features. In particular, the region is notable for its network of hollow ways – an extensive network of well-preserved routes connecting the ancient settlements. Some are estimated to be at least 5000 years old, and yet despite substantial landscape change are still visible today.

However, over the last 60 years the archaeology of the region has come under increasing threat. Problems include dam inundation and the associated irrigation networks, the intensified farming that follows it, and expanding urbanisation and its accompanying infrastructure. Although some rescue work has been conducted in advance of some infrastructure projects, the extent of the damage these have caused has never been assessed. This paper will review 60 years of landscape change in the area around Tell al-Hawa, using early CORONA satellite imagery and recent Digital Globe imagery. Although we will never have a ‘complete’ record of the past to study, by examining the effects of modern development on the archaeology of the region, it is possible to assess its loss. This paper will conclude by considering the impact this has – and will continue to have – on the study of the history of Iraq, and its implications for heritage management.

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Emma Cunliffe

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Northern Jazirah

iraq

endangered archaeology

Department: School of Archaeology

Date Added: 23/11/2016

Duration: 00:25:18

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Using Digital Technologies to Document the Endangered Archaeological Heritage of the Bazyan Basin in Slemani (English)

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Using case studies from his work in the Bazyan Basin, Ricardo Cabral outlines the digital technologies that can be used to survey and explore sites threatened by agriculture, development and industry in Iraq.

Recent developments in the field of 3D technologies, including access to low cost volumetric surveys, virtual reality systems and 3D printing, have been gradually transforming the traditional modes of recording, research and dissemination of archaeological heritage. The application of these digital technologies has opened a wide range of possibilities and solutions in the preservation and dissemination of archaeological sites, playing an especially important role in unstable socio-political contexts.

It is in this context that the Kani Shaie Archaeological Project, which takes place in Iraqi Kurdistan, has, since 2013, adopted a multi-scale 3D scanning methodology, combining Unmanned Air Vehicles, photogrammetry, GIS and handheld laser scanners for the documentation and preservation of the site and its archaeological remains.

The use of these digital tools proved to be not only a solution for the remote analysis of archaeological data, providing greater insight into the archaeological contexts and artifacts, but simultaneously allowed us to develop a virtual reality application that provides an interactive approach to the dissemination of the archaeological heritage to the public. The application of these technologies will assist in the coming years to document in a digital format the threatened and rapidly disappearing cultural heritage of the Bazyan valley.

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Department: School of Archaeology

Date Added: 23/11/2016

Duration: 00:23:01

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Capacity Building for Cultural Heritage in the KRG (Kurdish translation)

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Dr Tobin Hartnell argues that three key ‘gaps’ are threatening cultural heritage: an interest gap, a caring gap, and a skills gap. He suggests that expanding cultural heritage studies beyond universities is a key priority for the future.

After decades of neglect, there is a very active research program for archaeology in the KRG largely led by foreigners. Amongst these foreign projects, there are a few that are specifically designed to strengthen the capacity of existing cultural professionals in the museum and archaeology space. What is missing is support for the next generation of professionals. Traditionally, national and regional governments have supported students financially to gain their education in foreign universities, yet the most effective forms of capacity building will reverse that to emphasize local skills building initiatives and partnerships to bring qualified professionals into the region. This talk will discuss successful models of in-sourcing and consider what has, is, and can be done to support capacity development in the local universities.

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Department: School of Archaeology

Date Added: 23/11/2016

Duration: 00:16:16

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Capacity Building for Cultural Heritage in the KRG (Arabic translation)

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Department: School of Archaeology

Date Added: 23/11/2016

Duration: 00:15:35

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Capacity Building for Cultural Heritage in the KRG (English)

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Department: School of Archaeology

Date Added: 23/11/2016

Duration: 00:15:45

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The Destroyed Heritage in Mosul - reality and challenges (Kurdish translation)

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Layla Salih outlines some of the reasons, religious, political and economic, for the destruction of Mosul’s heritage and examines the issues currently hindering plans for prioritisation and reconstruction.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, in addition to the tragic loss of life and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, cultural heritage has been the target of intentional destruction on a staggering scale. We face an appalling situation, which calls for us to live up to our responsibilities. The objective is to expunge any trace of history of the country, along with the identities of its people.

It became clear for everyone what happened in Mosul and Nineveh as a whole city, which have been under control of ISIS during June 2014 and till now, and how they started devastating actions from the first month of their invasion; as a result of that, many different sites have been destroyed such as Assyrian cities, religious sites, museums…etc. In this presentation, I try to focus on the outcomes of destruction in order to document that and thinking about the future of heritage sites which have been affected during the war.

Work challenges will be different from one site to another, because of questions related to the scale of damage, the current situation for each site, and other aspects which we will discuss together. I’ll also address some of the International conventions in order to show what challenges we will encounter in their application when rehabilitating destroyed heritage sites.

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Department: School of Archaeology

Date Added: 23/11/2016

Duration: 00:11:00

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The Destroyed Heritage in Mosul - reality and challenges (Arabic translation)

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Department: School of Archaeology

Date Added: 23/11/2016

Duration: 00:09:28

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The Destroyed Heritage in Mosul - reality and challenges (English)

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Department: School of Archaeology

Date Added: 23/11/2016

Duration: 00:10:39

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AMAL in Heritage: A cultural emergency management tool for MENA region (Arabic translation)

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Protecting the Past 2 - Towards a better future with cultural heritage

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Dr Rouhani outlines AMAL’s development of a mobile app: designed to assist and provide tools for risk planning and emergency management and to help professionals and local communities if experts are not available.

AMAL in Heritage is a programme for managing disaster and conflict risks for cultural heritage in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Launched by Global Heritage Fund (GHF) and its international partners, AMAL in Heritage responds to the need for a comprehensive programme of cultural emergency management. The increasing number of disasters and conflicts and also the scale of damage to and destruction of heritage places and antiquities in this region have necessitated the use of all possible and latest methods and technologies for reducing risks, managing emergency situation, and recovery. There is a need for a sustainable, cost-effective, and comprehensive platform and toolkit to equip cultural heritage practitioners and volunteers on the ground with the tools, training, and capacity they need to prepare for disasters before they come; respond to them when they arrive; and begin recovering from them after the smoke has cleared.

AMAL in Heritage develops plans, tools, and training materials for risk preparedness, emergency response, and recovery of movable and immovable cultural heritage. AMAL in Heritage is supported by a mobile and web application to offer management, data recording, and mapping tools and to deliver technical and training support to local heritage professionals in the region. A survey carried out by GHF for AMAL in Heritage shows that although the use of new online technologies and applications for preparedness, emergency response, and recovery has become a trend in many sectors, including humanitarian, cultural heritage sector has not received enough advantage from this possibility yet. Rapid Damage Assessment is the first element of AMAL’s mobile application that has been developed by AMAL in Heritage partners. This component was considered the most important initial step because a timely response to disaster can reduce the degree and extent of damage and prevent the permanent loss of cultural heritage. The objective of a rapid damage assessment is to identify the extent and impact of the damage caused by the disaster and to identify priorities for intervention. To fill the gap created by the absence of international assistance, Global Heritage Fund is partnering with the Prince Claus Fund, the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), and the International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness of ICOMOS (ICOMOS-ICORP) to launch the ‘AMAL in Heritage’ programme.