Integration of Geoscience and Archeology to Support Site Management and the preservation of Egyptian Heritage on Giza Plateau”

The project aims at generating a dynamic hydro-geological model of the plateaus subsurface, which would allow the modeling and assessment of groundwater migration within the plateau. The geological model is based on surface geological and hydrological data and is calibrated with data from water wells and archaeological shafts.

The results of the geological modeling will be represented as maps in a GIS database. This database also comprises the archaeological maps of the artifacts on the Giza Plateau. The merge of the geological, hydrological and archaeological data in map format aims at supporting the activities of the Supreme Council of Antiquities’ (SCA) for the preservation of the Egyptian Heritage on the Giza Plateau. A copy of the GIS database along with advice on its usage will be provided to SCA.

The work will be done as a collaboration of Schlumberger and NARSS (National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Science, Cairo, Egypt for the geological aspects) and Harvard University (for the archaeological aspects) and will be supervised by supervisors for remote sensing (F. El-Baz), geology and geophysics (M. Oristaglio) and archaeological surveying (G. and J. Dash). Further Egyptian contributors will be contracted via NARSS.

Participating Institutions:

• Schlumberger WesternGeco Egypt
• Schlumberger-Doll Research USA
• Harvard University USA
• Supreme Council of Antiquites, Cairo