Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA)

 The regions of North Africa and the Middle East are home to some of the most spectacular and significant archaeological sites in the world. However, this heritage is under threat from a variety of factors, including not only the well-publicised examples of armed conflict and large-scale looting, but also countless other issues including urban and agricultural expansion, natural disasters, and climate change. The Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) project was established in 2015 in recognition of the growing number of threats facing heritage sites today. Learn more about the EAMENA project.

Image below shows the early modern settlement of Murzuq, Libya, overbuilt by modern houses between 2003 and 2016.

A collaboration between the Universities of Leicester, Oxford, and Durham, and funded by Arcadia, the EAMENA project’s main objectives are to document heritage and assess the damage and threats affecting heritage sites across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The project uses an interdisciplinary methodology which combines remote sensing and satellite imagery analysis with digitisation of published and archival materials and on-the-ground fieldwork. These data are recorded and made available in an open-access online database for use by heritage professionals, researchers, students, and other stakeholders. Explore the EAMENA database.

A primary focus of the Leicester EAMENA team is the development and application of Automated Change Detection methods for heritage assessment and protection. Using machine learning methods and satellite imagery access through the open-access platform Google Earth Engine, this method allows users to quickly and efficiently analyse heritage sites and landscapes for evidence of disturbances and changes. Over the past several years, the Leicester team has also run multiple training workshops for North African heritage professionals from Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt to learn these methods and other advanced remote sensing techniques, funded by the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund.

Image on right show Dr Ahmed Buzaian delivering an online training event for Libyan heritage professionals (Photo by Design Services, University of Leicester)

Meet the Research Team

Principal Investigators

• Professor David Mattingly
• Professor Ruth Young

Post-doctoral Researchers

• Dr Nichole Sheldrick
• Dr Mohamed Kenawi
• Dr Ahmed Mahmoud
• Dr Ahmed Buzaian

Selected Publications

• Mahmoud, A.M.A., Sheldrick, N. and Ahmed, M. (2024) A Novel Machine Learning Automated Change Detection Tool for Monitoring Disturbances and Threats to Archaeological Sites. Access the pre-print article available at SSRN. 
• Rayne, L.; Gatto, M.C.; Abdulaati, L.; Al-Haddad, M.; Sterry, M.; Sheldrick, N.; Mattingly, D. (2020) Detecting Change at Archaeological Sites in North Africa Using Open-Source Satellite Imagery. Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 3694. Access the article on MDPI.
• Sheldrick, N. and Zerbini, A. (2017) A Heritage Inventory for Documenting Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa. ISPRS Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., IV-2/W2, 237–241. Access the article in ISPRS.
• Rayne, L., Sheldrick, N., & Nikolaus, J. (2017). Endangered archaeology in Libya: recording damage and destruction. Libyan Studies, 48, 23–49. Access the article online at Cambridge University Press.