Monitoring the condition of archaeological sites

Monitoring the condition of archaeological sites and their susceptibility to geohazards is vital for their preservation and the safety of visitors. Ideally this would be performed remotely to avoid any disturbance to ancient monuments.

As part of our Domisi project funded by the European Space Agency, we are performing remote InSAR displacement analysis of important Ancient Greek and Roman remains in Cyprus for the Department of Antiquities. From this data we determine their susceptibility to geohazards such as subsidence and identify locations of immediate concern for proactive restoration.

Highlights

• Remote monitoring of displacement avoids disturbance to artifacts.

• Susceptibility to geohazard or other instability is assessed and reported to the Department of Antiquities.

• Proactive restoration or stabilising measures are taken before heritage is lost.