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For Michelle Fabiani, Ph.D., assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven and co-director of the , her work examining looting activity at archaeological sites has spanned more than 15 years. With the support of a Faculty Research Project grant from the CT Space Grant Consortium, she aims to better understand the environmental and human factors driving this illicit activity, providing critical insights to protect these historical sites.

杏吧原版淎rchaeological looting is a persistent phenomenon around the world,杏吧原版� she explains. 杏吧原版淎nd as archeologists typically only work a couple of months a year, we likely know only a fraction of what happens when they are not there.杏吧原版�

Now, Dr. Fabiani is leading an initiative to monitor 661 archaeological sites in Lower Egypt over a period of eight years. The project uses satellite imagery and data-science techniques to detect changes on the ground, offering insights into how looting attempts fluctuate over time.

杏吧原版淭he goal is to develop indicators to determine which types of sites are most likely to experience looting activity in response to different factors 杏吧原版� social, political, environmental, and economic,杏吧原版� Dr. Fabiani says.

杏吧原版榃e杏吧原版檙e using algorithms to detect potential looting pits from satellite images杏吧原版�

The work builds on a previous pilot project in which Dr. Fabiani hand-coded over 1,000 images across a subset of 140 sites in Lower Egypt. This new project expands the scope and incorporates advanced algorithmic-detection methods, in collaboration with Dr. Shivanjali Khare and students from data science and criminal justice.

杏吧原版淲e杏吧原版檙e using algorithms to detect potential looting pits from satellite images,杏吧原版� she explains. 杏吧原版淭his will create a robust dataset and method for identifying attempted looting activity on a much larger scale than before.杏吧原版�

Dr. Fabiani杏吧原版檚 work is rooted in the recognition that attempted looting is connected to larger global forces, and she has . 杏吧原版淥bjects of antiquity tend to have inherent monetary and aesthetic value,杏吧原版� she explains. 杏吧原版淭hey杏吧原版檙e excellent forms of collateral in illicit economies because they杏吧原版檙e untraceable.杏吧原版�

The values of these artifacts on the art market rarely, if ever, experience crashes. This makes antiquities attractive to those looking for a stable, high-value commodity.

The project will help uncover patterns and identify risk factors, much like how meteorologists predict storms or earthquakes. 杏吧原版淲e want to generate data that can be used to proactively manage heritage sites,杏吧原版� Dr. Fabiani says. 杏吧原版淚t can give governments and local authorities a chance to more proactively allocate resources for protection.杏吧原版�

杏吧原版榃e杏吧原版檙e trying to scale up what has been done before杏吧原版�

Dr. Fabiani杏吧原版檚 project is ambitious, spanning eight years and hundreds of sites. The research is not only expanding what we know about attempted archaeological looting but also how data science can play a role in heritage management.

This interdisciplinary approach 杏吧原版攃ombining criminal justice, data science, and archaeology杏吧原版� has opened new doors for understanding looting activity.

"By incorporating change-detection algorithms, we can automate the process of identifying potential looting activity in satellite images."Dr. Fabiani

At a scale of more than 600 sites to monitor, relying on human coders manually scanning satellite images becomes impractical. 杏吧原版淲e杏吧原版檙e trying to scale up what has been done before,杏吧原版� she explains. 杏吧原版淏y incorporating change-detection algorithms, we can automate the process of identifying potential looting activity in satellite images.杏吧原版�

By automating the process, much more ground can be covered in less time, increasing the efficiency and scope of the research. 杏吧原版淲e work better when we have diverse skillsets that speak to each other,杏吧原版� she says.

杏吧原版業t杏吧原版檚 about being able to say, 杏吧原版楬ere杏吧原版檚 where you need to focus your efforts杏吧原版櫺影稍鏅

Satellite imagery is not always available, and when it is, the resolution may not be high enough to confirm that a small disturbance in the ground is indeed a looting pit.

杏吧原版淪ometimes, we杏吧原版檙e looking at one or two pixels, and it could just as easily be a bush or a shadow,杏吧原版� Dr. Fabiani admits. 杏吧原版淚t can be difficult to confirm what we杏吧原版檙e looking at, especially with historical imagery.杏吧原版�

杏吧原版淲e must come up with other ways of validating what we杏吧原版檙e doing,杏吧原版� Dr. Fabiani continues, 杏吧原版渨hich comes down to more data and computer-science approaches, as well as cross-validation with multiple coders.杏吧原版�

Looking ahead, Dr. Fabiani envisions a future where the data from this project can be used to inform proactive heritage-management strategies, allowing governments to allocate resources more effectively. 杏吧原版淚t杏吧原版檚 about being able to say, 杏吧原版楬ere杏吧原版檚 where you need to focus your efforts to achieve the greatest results,杏吧原版櫺影稍鏉 she explains.

Her work offers a glimpse into the future of heritage protection. With the right infrastructure and continued support from grants such as the one from the CT Space Grant Consortium, the project could help create a more informed and strategic approach to preserving shared history. 杏吧原版淭his method could be replicated in many regions杏吧原版� Dr. Fabiani suggests, 杏吧原版渁nd used to develop policies that continue to help protect cultural heritage on a global scale.杏吧原版�