The registration and monitoring of cultural heritage sites in the Cyprus landscape using GIS and satellite remote sensing

Abstract

In order to protect cultural heritage sites in the landscape from damage and destruction, authorities need to maintain a record (database) of the known sites in the areas for which they are responsible. The better the record, the easier and cheaper it is to minimise conflict between planning and the construction of new roads or any other development. Cultural heritage sites can comprise burial mounds, old settlements, old roads and numerous other features. A good and wellorganized cultural heritage database can therefore facilitate sustainable cultural heritage management. The use of GIS and satellite remote sensing tools can assist such task. High-resolution satellites facilitate the development of methods for observing even the smallest features and thus promote a systematic utilization of satellite data in the mapping and monitoring of cultural heritage sites. This pilot project addresses these issues by initiating the development of a basis for a sustainable, up-to-date and cost-effective decision-support methodology which relies upon satellite remote-sensing for mapping and monitoring cultural heritage sites and then the use of GIS for cultural heritage sites registration