Anthea Crane

Project Volunteer

What do you do?

I completed an MA Archaeology at Durham University in 2023, having previously studied Ancient Languages at UCL and Archaeology and Heritage at the University of Leicester. My Masters dissertation used satellite imagery to study the locations of ancient rock inscriptions within the surrounding landscape. I am now Subject Librarian in Egyptology and Ancient Near East Studies at the Bodleian Libraries and will shortly be starting a PhD at UCL, using satellite imagery and statistical analysis to research ancient movement.

How are you involved in this area of science? 

I have been volunteering for EAMENA since 2021, starting with a project to remotely locate tells (ancient settlement mounds) in Iraq and assess damage.  However, my main focus has been surveying the Darb Zubaydah; a road used from around the 8th century AD for hajj pilgrimages between Kufa and Mecca in present-day Iraq and Saudi Arabia respectively.

Using satellite imagery, I traced the Iraq section of the road and identified sites, which typically include buildings and water storage facilities, built at intervals along the route for pilgrims to rest overnight. Each archaeological feature, site and section of surviving road is entered into the EAMENA database with a brief description and details on its current condition. 

I also completed EAMENA’s online course ‘Advanced Archaeological Remote Sensing: Site Prospection, Landscape Archaeology and Heritage Protection in the Middle East and North Africa’ which was invaluable in improving skills required for my dissertation. 

What do you love about this topic?

I have been fascinated by remote sensing since I first heard about satellite imagery being used for archaeological research and heritage management. It is always exciting to find an archaeological feature when analysing satellite imagery, and to contribute to a database of heritage sites which is used by researchers around the world.

Volunteering for EAMENA has also improved my GIS (Geographic Information System) and remote sensing skills, and I find that remote sensing surveys give me a greater understanding of heritage sites within their wider landscape context.

How does this work deliver real-world impact?

The Darb Zubaydah is on the UNESCO world heritage tentative list, indicating its global importance as a heritage site. A comprehensive survey of the Iraq section of the road has not previously been undertaken, and therefore the EAMENA project’s remote sensing survey is important for recording information which can be used for future archaeological research.

Also, some sites are at risk of damage or destruction from natural or human causes, and the condition assessments of current and potential risks to sites provide data that can be used to understand the impact of environmental factors and to inform future decisions.