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CURIA Lab
Project Type Research Institution Type University Affiliated Institution University of New Haven ; University of Virginia (USA) Methods GIS Geographic Area Syria, Egypt Website https://curialab.org/ Summary CURIA Lab analyzes the transformation and destruction of cultural heritage at scale. It collects data (notably through OSINT and GIS) to measure the impact of conflict, looting, and violence on cultural property and on communities. Its work currently focuses on Syria, Ukraine, and Egypt, and seeks to produce useful information for researchers, NGOs, and decision-makers, in order to document crimes against heritage and to support the pursuit of criminal justice.
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Fondation des sciences du patrimoine
Project Type Research Institution Type Foundation Affiliated Institution Ministry of Culture, CNRS (France) Site web https://www.sciences-patrimoine.org/ Summary The Fondation des sciences du patrimoine, created under the aegis of the French Ministry of Culture and the CNRS, is a partnership structure that unites major institutions such as the Louvre, BnF, Château de Versailles, and the INHA. It hence forms a research network dedicated to material heritage and supports interdisciplinary scholarly projects that bring together history, science, technology, and conservation. Its activities are articulated around three poles: knowledge, conservation/restoration, and the communication of research.
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Penn Cultural Heritage Center
Project type Research, Training Institution type Museum Parent institution University of Pennsylvania Website https://www.penn.museum/sites/chc/ Summary The Penn Cultural Heritage Center (PennCHC), founded in 2007 is a research center at the Penn Museum committed to the preservation of cultural heritage as a foundation for social justice worldwide. It develops interdisciplinary projects on contemporary issues (antiquities trafficking, armed conflict, heritage communities) in close collaboration with local communities. It implements a bottom-up approach to heritage preservation to rethink the role of museums and the relationship between heritage, society, and human rights.
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Hishatakaran
Project type Documentation, Institution type University/NGO Parent institution INALCO (France), Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Methods OSINT Geographic area Armenia, Azerbaijan Website https://hishatakaran.org/en/ Summary The academic project of documenting Artsakh”s tangible cultural heritage started in June 2023 in order to study and document endangered historical and cultural monuments of the Artsakh Republic, seized and taken under the Azerbaijani control in the aftermath of the 2020 44-day war. Through thorough scientific and academic documentation, this project aims to protect the monuments of Artsakh, as far as possible, from destruction, transformation, appropriation, and from the direct danger of complete erasure and to transmit them to future generations. As a result of Azerbaijan’s attack on…
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Monument Watch
Project Type Cartography, Inventory Institution Type Independent research Affiliated Institution Independent Methods Cartography Geographic Area Armenia, Azerbaijan Website https://monumentwatch.org/en/ Summary Monument Watch is an independent academic platform created to record and present the condition and changes of Artsakh Cultural Heritage. It provides mapping and inventory of the immovable cultural heritage, monuments, museums, and cultural centers, while monitoring their current state and providing alerts on destruction, alteration, reuse, deletion, and modification of sculptures, images, inscriptions, and the use of new symbols, among others.
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Conflict Antiquities
Project Type Blog Institution Type Independent Methods OSINT Geographic Area Iraq, Syria, Turkey Website https://conflictantiquities.wordpress.com/ Summary On a personal blog, the archaeologist Samuel Hardy studies the illicit trade in antiquities and the destruction of cultural heritage in a context of economic crisis, organized crime, and armed conflict, concentrating on the analysis of crimes against cultural heritage and communal property. His research also addresses the use and abuse of cultural heritage (appropriation, vandalism) as well as its social, economic, and political contexts. His main area of study is Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey, with some coverage of other regions.
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EAMENA
Project Type Documentation, Cartography Institution Type University Affiliated Institution Oxford University (UK) Methods Satellite Imagery / GIS Geographic Area Middle East, North Africa Website https://eamena.org/ Summary LEAMENA (Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa) is a project that seeks to census, analyze, and protect threatened archaeological sites across the MENA region. It uses satellite imagery, aerial photography, and GIS to document sites, assess risks, and update an open database. Its main objective is to create an inventory that is accessible and usable for research and cultural heritage management, while also training local professionals, developing digital capabilities, and supporting international cooperation for heritage preservation.
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The Arab Network of Civil Society Organizations to Safeguard Cultural Heritage (ANSCH)
Project Type Network, Damage Tracking Type d’institution NGO Affiliated Institution Heritage for Peace Geographic Area Syria, Libya, Iraq, Yemen Website https://ansch.heritageforpeace.org/ Summary The project seeks to reinforce cooperation between NGOs, public authorities, and local communities to identify, document, manage, and protect archaeological sites, monuments, and museums. It is active primarily in zones impacted by conflict (Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen) by developing coordination, training, and support tools for local actors.
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Research on Armenian Architecture Foundation
Project Type Research, Documentation Institution Type Foundation Methods Cartography Geographic Area Armenia Website https://artsakhmonuments.org/public/en Summary Artsakh Monuments is a scholarly platform developed by the Research on Armenian Architecture Foundation, which seeks to inventory, study, and disseminate knowledge on material heritage of Artsakh. It offers a database of 3,000 monuments with detailed descriptions, maps, images, and typological classifications.
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Martine Aublet Grant
Reserved for research in the humanities and social sciences, the Martine Aublet Foundation awards highly competitive doctoral fellowships in the amount of 15,000€ to cover field research over a period of twelve months. Dissertation subjects, distinguished by both their pertinence and scientific rigor, must justify work in a non-European country in one of the following disciplines: anthropology, ethnomusicology, ethnolinguistics, history, art history, archaeology, sociology, and political science. The selection process is headed by the Department of Research and Education at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac. An international open call is announced every year in May. All submissions are reviewed by a committee appointed by the Foundation, then…
