This project aims at providing new tools and methodological workflows for the remote detection and monitoring of endangered archaeological and Cultural Heritage sites by natural and anthropogenic hazards, such as agricultural expansion, urban development and looting. A novel aspect of the project is that it is based on the use of Big Earth Data, a concept that embraces the use of massive, complex, heterogeneous and multitemporal satellite, airborne and drone imagery. We integrate historical geospatial datasets, such as aerial photography and historical topographic maps, with new multispectral and radar satellite and drone observations to evaluate short to long-term land-use and land-cover change in selected areas ranging from the vulnerable drylands of north-western India to the fragile biomes of the Mongolian steppes and the Canary and Balearic Islands.

The research objectives (ROs) of the project are as follows:

RO1: To accurately predict and map the location of new areas of archaeological interest by the automated detection of their associated surface and subsurface signatures.

RO2: To automatically identify and monitor episodes and trends of acute land-cover change affecting the preservation of archaeological sites.

RO3: To re-evaluate past and present-day cultural and socio-ecological landscape dynamics and foresee feasible risk mitigation mechanisms and sustainable cultural heritage management.

RO4: To produce and share a set of comparable data, standardised workflows and reproducible tools to safeguard endangered archaeology at global scales.