Dr Naseem Raad

The Sidon Archaeology Digitization Project (SADP) was initiated by the Honor Frost Foundation to continue its pursuit of compiling, cataloguing, and organizing all published and unpublished archaeological data from coastal sites in Lebanon. Similar to the Beirut Port Project (BPP), the primary objective of the SADP is to identify and collate previous maritime archaeological project results into one unified database. This database is relatable to the MarEA and EAMENA databases, allowing for easy and practical data sharing and compatibility. In this capacity, the HFF is working with the Department General of Antiquities of Lebanon to further refine the internal database developed in the BPP and develop a Geographic Information System with multiple layers of functionality.

The SADP team also conducted field assessments led by Dr Sayantani Neogi to determine the current condition of all identified maritime archaeological sites in the database. The secondary objective of the project is to develop guidelines and a methodology for conducting periodic condition assessments based on the assessed threat level of each archaeological site. Finally, appropriate management practices and measures are being recommended to mitigate the degradation of various sites.

Ultimately, the database developed for the SADP will greatly advance maritime archaeological research and heritage preservation in Lebanon in several capacities. The exposure and organization of various maritime archaeological sites allows for new research questions to be posed by maritime archaeologists working in coastal Lebanon. The database is searchable, allowing researchers to sort sites and features based on their characterisation and interpretation. Furthermore, sites are also classified based on the modern urban cadastre map. In this way, it allows for swift impact assessments to be undertaken by heritage specialists in the case of construction or some other form of urban development.

For inquiries contact the project director, Dr Naseem Raad at naseemraad@honorfrostfoundation.org.