Project description
Advanced technology to map endangered archaeological soilscapes
The Lebanese Civil War severely transformed the traditional agronomic landscapes of the Bekaa Valley. As a result, several fragile and less visible archaeological and landscape features remained unmapped. The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) SIGNATURE project will investigate the long-term settlement and land use dynamics that transformed the cultural soilscapes of the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and the fertile plains between the Litani and Orontes rivers. The project will combine Big Earth Observation Data and geoarchaeological signatures in computational workflows to accurately map and predict the location of anthropogenic soils and landforms, monitor historical and present-day land use trends, and identify acute landscape transformations endangering the preservation of vulnerable archaeological and heritage assets.
Objective
SIGNATURE aims to investigate the long-term settlement and land use dynamics that shaped the cultural soilscapes of the Levant, with a particular emphasis on revealing new archaeological sites that have been obscured by recent agricultural encroachment and abrupt land disturbances. The study area encompasses the endangered archaeological landscapes of the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and its adjacent fertile plains between the Litani and Orontes rivers. As an aftermath of the Lebanese Civil War and the long-lasting conflict spillovers that followed, the traditional agronomic landscapes of the Bekaa were severely transformed by agricultural autarky. The scarce initiatives that are set in place to map vulnerable heritage primarily focus on well-known, monumental sites such as the UNESCO complex of Baalbek. Other fragile and less visible archaeological and landscape features such as eroded earthen mounds or tells are largely under-represented.
SIGNATURE combines Big Earth Observation Data and geoarchaeological signatures in computational workflows to 1) accurately map and predict the location of anthropogenic soils and landforms, 2) monitor historical and present-day land use trends, and 3) identify acute landscape transformations affecting the preservation of vulnerable archaeological and heritage assets. A key aspect of the project methodology is the integration of multi-source and multi-temporal satellite data in artificial intelligence procedures, coupled with ground and high-resolution soil proxies in advanced geostatistical workflows. SIGNATURE will produce and share a set of comparable data and reproducible tools for the study and management of endangered cultural landscapes, likely to be adapted and implemented by scholars and Cultural Heritage practitioners working in conflict and post-conflict regions.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering satellite technology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
43003 Tarragona
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.