


Now surrounded by present-day Mosul, the central part of the compound is incorporated into the fabric of the modern city, so the pressure of urban development on the archaeological area is great (see maps, below). Nineveh has received less detailed attention. More on satellite tracking: Tracking the hardening coast Mosul was among the prime targets and various assessments have focused on this city. The worst destruction, driven by propaganda motives, was concentrated in urban areas. The survey revealed a low incidence of sites that appeared to have been looted for the acquisition and smuggling of antiquities, reflecting the results of other assessments for northern Iraq more generally. In addition to the remote-sensing datasets, the summary of the results draws on information from local and international sources.

Remote-sensing datasets and related GIS and site records became the core of an updated Iraqi Archaeological Map implemented by the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH). Now that Iraqi government control has been re-established, there is an opportunity to prevent Nineveh’s transformation into a polluted landfill site and halt its absorption into the expanding city of Mosul. Satellite image coverage extended to approximately 1380 square kilometres, within which 997 areas of particular archaeological interest were identified and mapped. The team assessed and monitored visible damage in selected sample areas by matching and analysing high-resolution satellite imagery taken before and after the occupation. The first phase of the initiative produced a geo-database of archaeological and cultural heritage sites in the five Iraqi governorates wholly or partly under ISIS control. The team found that a much larger area, covering tens of hectares, had been destroyed by ISIS construction work and rubbish dumping. Soon after the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) occupied northern Iraq in 2014, an Iraqi-Italian team began recording, evaluating and monitoring the devastation ISIS inflicted using satellite-based remote sensing. In modern times Nineveh was a communal space in which its extraordinary history could be appreciated and celebrated. UNESCO describes the ancient city as “one of the most important cultural centers in the ancient world enjoying a prominent role in the field of developing human civilization”. Situated on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, Nineveh was the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and said to be the largest city in the world for several decades (c. Islamic State vandalism and construction projects inflicted significant damage on the site – all shown on a new topographic map informed by satellite and drone data. Jablonsky said during the earnings call that the first two Legions are now projected to launch in September.Once the largest city in the world, the ancient northern Iraqi archaeological site of Nineveh could become a rubbish dump unless a restoration plan is developed. The company is in the process of building six new WorldView Legion satellites but their launch continues to suffer delays due to supply chain and logistical problems. government and other customers, and demand has soared due to the war in Ukraine. Maxar currently has four imaging satellites in orbit supporting the U.S. It’s also marketed to organizations that provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The setup on display included a satellite antenna from Safran and a small receiver terminal used for downlinking and analyzing data.Ī spokesperson said the equipment is aimed at users, particularly military and intelligence units, who need to operate in remote locations and would need access to satellites on-demand to track and identify targets or troop movements. Maxar displayed the tactical access hardware last month at the GEOINT 2022 symposium in Aurora, Colorado. “So we think that’s another growth vector for us,” he said.
