Protecting the Past is the international conference and workshop series organised by the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East & North Africa (EAMENA) Project in cooperation with regional partners in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The heritage of the MENA region is of international importance: the region contains millions of documented and un-documented archaeological sites. Whilst current international attention is focused on conflict damage, the heritage of these regions is at risk from multiple threats including looting, dam inundation, development and expanding agriculture.
The purpose of this series is to move beyond describing the threats facing the cultural heritage of the region and focus on understanding them, examining new approaches and projects for heritage protection. It promotes debate and discussion on the range of threats to cultural heritage sites, as well as aiming to to facilitate communication between different groups and enhance regional understanding of the issues. By bringing together different stakeholders, we hope to formulate strategies for the future, aimed at preserving cultural heritage sites and developing long-lasting partnerships within the MENA region.
Through the Protecting the Past series we also provide training opportunities for professionals and graduate students based in the MENA region. These workshops are focused on how to use free and low-cost satellite imagery and aerial photographs to record, monitor and assess disturbances and threats to heritage sites in the MENA region. They also introduce trainees to the EAMENA Project’s online database, explaining how it is used for heritage monitoring and demonstrating its applications for our partners in the Middle East and North Africa.
For EAMENA, the Protecting the Past organising committee is composed of: Dr Andrea Zerbini, Dr Jennie Bradbury and Dr Emma Cunliffe.
Please visit EAMENA’s website for more information on our project.
