Diggers, Drones, Data, and Diplomacy

Join us for a lunchtime lecture on the power of big data in combating cultural heritage looting and shaping cultural diplomacy.

Jordan faces an ongoing challenge of demand-driven looting, fuelled by both illegal and legal trade in Middle Eastern cultural heritage. While the looting of archaeological sites is not a new phenomenon, advances in technology are transforming how researchers, governments, and international organisations document and respond to the movement of cultural materials.

In this lecture, Professor Morag Kersel will explore the complex relationship between cultural heritage protection, international law, and diplomacy through the lens of Jordan's efforts to secure a cultural property agreement with the United States. She will examine how the 1970 UNESCO Convention has been used not only to combat the illicit trade in antiquities, but also to foster international cooperation and address historical injustices linked to colonial collecting practices.

Drawing on her extensive research, Professor Kersel will demonstrate how remote sensing technologies, oral histories, ethnographic interviews, and other forms of big data can provide compelling evidence of archaeological site looting and the movement of illicitly excavated artefacts.

This timely presentation highlights the growing role of digital technologies in cultural heritage management and reveals how data-driven approaches are increasingly influencing international policy and cultural diplomacy. Join us for an insightful discussion on the protection of the past in an increasingly connected world.