More work on Satellite Imagery from Syria

2012-2013 satellite imagery in Syria reveals widespread looting and damage Casana, Jesse and Mitra Panahipour, 2014; 'Satellite-Based Monitoring of Looting and Damage to Archaeological Sites in Syria. Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies 2(2): 128-151 a shame though that they did not try to find out what had been done by others (more comprehensive coverage using some of the same material) and reported last year.

Syria (1) Evidence of Looting from Google Earth as of 5th May 2013, Southwestern parts

Syria (2), Evidence of Looting from Google Earth as of 5th May 2013, Central and Western (coastal) regions  

Syria (3), Evidence of Looting from Google Earth as of 5th May 2013, Northern and Eastern Regions

I was looking specifically at the issue of looting due to the civil war, while these two researchers include military bases on tell sites (they miss quite a few) and spread their net wider. Some of the sites they include on their list of looted sites were dug into before the war - for example the looting of Tell Tell Bi'a in Ar-Raqqah Governorate is already apparent on photos from the summer of 2011 and (in blurred form, 2004). It is thus discounted from my list. There are very many sites in Syria with holes in them predating April 2011. Some are from looting, others seem to be mini-quarries. There does not seem much point in conflating these two separate periods in any discussion.

Vignette: Eyes in the sky