EAMENA Project

Arcadia funded project @UniversityofOxford, @UniofLeicester, and @DurhamUniversity recording #endangeredarchaeology in the Middle East and North Africa.

https://youtu.be/kUaSPa03WoM This Arcadia Foundation funded project (2015-2024) will record and make available information about archaeological sites and landscapes which are under threat across the Middle East and North Africa. The project is based in the Universities of Oxford, Leicester and Durham. The archaeological heritage of the Middle East and North Africa, which is of international signif

icance for all periods, is under increasing threat from massive and sustained population explosion, agricultural development, urban expansion, warfare, and looting. The project will use aerial photography and satellite imagery to map unrecorded and endangered archaeological sites, to a uniform standard, and will evaluate and monitor their condition. The information provided will assist with the effective protection of these sites by the relevant authorities. The use of satellite and aerial imagery is especially important for those countries where access on the ground is currently either impossible or severely restricted (e.g. Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen). The Middle East and North Africa contains some of the best preserved archaeology anywhere in the world. It encompasses the great river valleys of Mesopotamia (the Tigris and Euphrates) and Egypt (the Nile), the Fertile Crescent, the Cradle of Civilization, the Holy Land, the fertile coastal lands of North Africa, the desert kingdoms of Arabia and the ancient cities of Iran. These archaeological zones are also some of the most vulnerable. The sites range in date from prehistory, through the earliest civilizations, including the Persian, Greek, Roman and Islamic empires, to the modern era. We estimate, from experience gained in Jordan, Libya, Syria and Saudi Arabia, that a conservative estimate of the number of sites in ‘Arabia’ alone is in the region of 1.5 million. If this is then multiplied for the whole region, the total for the whole of the Middle East and North Africa could be as many as 3–5 million archaeological sites. Not all of these sites are currently endangered, but a significant percentage will be, and many more will come under threat. The vast majority of the sites are unrecorded and largely unknown to the relevant authorities in the countries concerned. Unlike much of western Europe where many of the sites have been ploughed, and some of the remains are buried and thus largely invisible beneath the soil, the sites in this region are (for the most part) visible on the surface and are made of stone or earth. However, the agents of destruction are much more devastating than just ploughing and are increasing: they include looting, urban expansion, road and infrastructure building and quarrying, bombing and shelling, as well as the surface clearance of immense areas for agricultural expansion, often leaving no trace of these significant sites. This project will provide the data to improve our understanding of the archaeology of the region, as well as the preservation, management and conservation of endangered archaeological sites from Iran to Mauretania, Syria to Egypt. The project is creating an open-access database to record the information about each site and its condition, in a user-friendly format. The information will be used improve the conservation of threatened sites and landscapes, and the project will create the tools and technology to access and disseminate this information rapidly. The aim is to create a network of well-trained staff (professional and voluntary) in the region, with the skills to record and manage sensitive archaeological sites and landscapes, to ensure that the cultural heritage will be better managed in the future. Director: Bill Finlayson OBE (University of Oxford)

Principal Investigator: Professor Andrew Wilson (University of Oxford)

Co-Investigators: Professor David Mattingly (Leicester University), Professor Graham Philip (Durham University)

27/05/2026

images show further damage to the Commonwealth war cemetery in . Between 5th and 16th April 2026 a bulldozed track was cut, covering the south wall and part of the cemetery. This is symptomatic of continued damage to land and buildings across the occupied Red Zone. Source: Planet Labs.

School of Archaeology, University of Oxford

26/05/2026

Our Bijan Rouhani discusses whether cultural heritage has become a victim of the war in Iran.
Watch the interview on BBC Arabic 🔗

https://www.bbc.com/arabic/articles/cwy21qr434qo

School of Archaeology, University of Oxford
BBC News Arabic هنا لندن - إذاعة بي بي سي نيوز عربي

06/05/2026

Our discovery of a series of Roman camps in SE is the subject of episode 10 of the Council for British Research in the Levant - CBRL 'Learning from the Past podcast'. It features our former director Bob Bewley and the CBRL's Firas Bqa'in talking about the identification of the sites and subsequent aerial survey and field survey. Listen here: 🔗

https://www.cbrl.ac.uk/media-listing/

School of Archaeology, University of Oxford

05/05/2026

During their UK visit, our colleagues from Iraq, Professor Zainalabideen Aljaafar, Dr Aqeel Ghalib Al-Khrayfawee, and Dr Jaafar Jotheri visited EAMENA’s University of Leicester team and Centre for Endangered Archaeology and Heritage to present their work on documenting the destruction of archaeological sites in Iraq.

Following their presentation, our guests had a chance to discuss their work with Leicester’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Nishan Canagarajah, and met colleagues in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester and received copies of Dr Selena Wisnom’s new book on ancient Mesopotamia.

30/04/2026

Our latest work explores how satellite radar + can be combined to monitor damage to urban heritage centres in near real-time during the conflict in .

Focusing on , , , and , the study shows how Synthetic Aperture Radar ( ) can detect structural change even through cloud, dust, or at night. Results indicate that Tehran’s historic core is currently at greatest risk, with evidence of significant urban damage affecting areas rich in cultural, religious, and historical assets.

This approach complements existing initiatives by moving beyond individual monuments to capture wider urban heritage impacts, helping prioritise cultural, historical, and religious assets for urgent follow-up when ground access is limited.

Read the article and watch the MP4s on our blog here 🔗
https://eamena.org/eamena-blog-0

School of Archaeology, University of Oxford Archaeology at Durham University

29/04/2026

Our new brief report on satellite imagery assessment of damage to heritage sites in the Gaza Strip is now online. This analysis records widespread damage across the territory and lists only 100 of the 524 sites listed on the EAMENA database as being in a ‘Good’ or ‘Fair’ condition. Read it here 🔗

https://eamena.org/article/remote-sensing-assessment-heritage-sites-gaza-strip-december-2025

School of Archaeology, University of Oxford
Archaeology at Durham University
School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester
MarEA - Maritime Endangered Archaeology
وزارة السياحة والآثار
Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation - CCHP

28/04/2026

Last week members of our teams from Oxford and Durham were at conference at UCL, an international forum for Near Eastern archaeology. They gave papers covering subjects as diverse the Sassanian frontier and pilgrimage routes in Iraq, knowledge production in the Neolithic, and results from large-scale survey work in the Syrian Desert. The team also took part in a workshop on climate change and sustainability in the MENA region, reflecting the conference’s broader focus on how archaeological knowledge is produced and shared.

https://www.banea-lcane.co.uk/banea-2026

School of Archaeology, University of Oxford British Association of Near Eastern Archaeology (BANEA) Archaeology at Durham University UCL Institute of Archaeology

27/04/2026

We were pleased to welcome colleagues from Iraq, Professor Zainalabideen Aljaafar, Dr Aqeel Ghalib Al-Khrayfawee, and Dr Jaafar Jotheri who presented their work documenting the destruction of archaeological sites by al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Their research, based on extensive field visits, forms part of a major multi-volume project on the impact of conflict on Iraq’s culture and society. The visit concluded with a lively discussion and discussed future collaboration with EAMENA on heritage documentation across the region.

Read about it here 🔗

https://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/article/special-guest-seminar-documenting-destruction-archaeological-sites-al-qaeda-and-isis-iraq

18/03/2026

Our Bijan Rouhani contributes to an article in Al Jazeera English on how ’s cultural heritage is being affected during the current conflict.

Reports suggest damage to several historic sites and museums, including well-known landmarks, such as Golestan Palace, and parts of Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, which are both World Heritage Sites.

A reminder of how fragile cultural heritage can be in times of war. Read it here: 🔗
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/17/are-the-us-and-israel-waging-war-on-irans-cultural-heritage

School of Archaeology, University of Oxford

24/02/2026

Book Launch: 'Reporting Heritage Destruction'
5-6pm Thursday 5th March
Guest Speakers: Prof. Cécile Fabre, Prof. Faisal Devji, Dr Bill Finlayson, Dr Bijan Rouhani & Dr Timothy Clack

Location: 1 South parks Road, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TG

Download Free 🔗
https://www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress/Products/9781805830382

School of Archaeology, University of Oxford

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