British Academy and Arcadia 'Mapping World Archaeology' Conference

Over the past decade, the Arcadia Fund has supported large-scale archaeological projects documenting heritage across regions beyond Western Europe and North America. Initially driven by the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage by groups such as the Taliban and ISIS, the programme focused on endangered archaeology. Over time, it became clear that urban and agricultural development, as well as climate change, were also rapidly damaging archaeological sites in countries with incomplete heritage records and limited professional resources.
Working with regional partners, the projects developed large-scale documentation methods, including remote sensing and geospatial recording, field documentation, photogrammetry, LiDAR visualisation, architectural drawing, and oral history, manuscript, and museum documentation. These initiatives have surveyed previously undocumented areas, creating extensive new heritage datasets intended for open-access publication. The scale of this work raises important questions about data sovereignty, sustainability, and the relationships between international researchers, national governments, local professionals, and the public.

The conference will address key issues arising from this new landscape of ‘big data’ in archaeology and the ethical responsibilities of researchers and heritage professionals. This unprecedented transnational data resource not only serves the initial goal of emergency documentation but also presents significant new research opportunities. Key themes and discussion areas are:
1. Global Heritage Management
2. Ethics of Remote Sensing in Archaeological Mapping
3. Creating a Big Data Resource
4. New Approaches
5. Overcoming Challenges