Our Mission
We conduct cutting-edge research on the history and cultural heritage of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, with a focus on heritage protection, policy, and the integration and development of new technologies. We work with regional partners to develop tools, knowledge, and frameworks that safeguard heritage, combat illicit trafficking, and support sustainable and inclusive heritage management.
Our Research and Innovative Technologies
Our work bridges academic research and real-world impact. From archival research on the Middle East and North Africa to the use of new tools for provenance analysis and data collection, we are committed to protecting, understanding, and connecting cultural heritage across borders.
30+
web scrapers developed to consolidate data from open repositories of cultural objects
200,000+
artifact records scraped using our tools
50+
historic sites documented in Iraq
Academic Research
We conduct archival-based research that sheds light on the cultural history of the modern Middle East and North Africa, with publications addressing the late Ottoman Empire as well as the modern states of Türkiye, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, and Palestine.
Data Collection and Processing
We design and implement data pipelines to extract, clean, and analyse large datasets, from archival records to online marketplaces, enabling scalable research and evidence-based policy.
Cultural Heritage Policy
We contribute to the development of policies that safeguard cultural heritage, drawing on legal frameworks, digital monitoring tools, and field research to inform effective strategies against illicit trafficking and heritage destruction.