Big Data and Diplomacy: Aerial Images and U.S. Department of State Cultural Property Bilateral Agreements

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Archaeological Vision in the Age of Big Data" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Big data in the form of aerial imagery gathered from drones, satellites, and archival spy images provide an historical time line of change over time of archaeological landscapes. The images of sites negatively affected by agriculture, development, looting, and urban growth are compelling and convincing in their documentation of destruction. Demonstrating the pillage of archaeological sites has never been easier. Any country that can establish that their cultural landscapes and objects are at risk as a result of demand in the United States can request a bilateral agreement under the 1983 Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (19 United States Code 2601 et seq). Big data generated from drones are used to offer proof of in-country looting, evidence fulfilling Determination # 1: that the cultural patrimony of the State Party is in jeopardy from the pillage (19 U.S.C. 2602 (A)(1)). This case study will illustrate the power of big data in diplomacy.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Archaeological Vision in the Age of Big Data

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24127