Multidisciplinary digital methodologies for documentation and preservation of immovable Archaeological heritage in the Khovd River Valley, Western Mongolia

Abstract

Background: The archaeological and ethnographic heritages of Mongolia reflect a multi-millennial continuity of typically mobile-pastoral occupations across sparsely populated, environmentally diverse landscapes, but the threats of modernisation and industrialisation to those heritages are nevertheless present and substantial. The construction of the Erdeneburen Hydroelectric Dam on the Khovd River in western Mongolia is planned to submerge hundreds of archaeological features and jeopardise at least another thousand. Methods: The Mongolian Archaeology Project: Surveying the Steppes, in collaboration with the Mongolian Institute of Archaeology, integrates a variety of digital techniques including GIS (geographic information systems), Machine Learning automated site detection, drone mapping, and Structure-from-Motion LiDAR scanning to document the endangered archaeology. This paper presents the resulting dataset of archaeological features across three different impact zones associated with the dam construction and evaluates the degree of efficacy of the initial data integration strategy through informal partner feedback and self-assessment. Results: While only approximately 20% of the documented sites fall within the planned flood zone, the remaining sites will be subjected to collateral threats such as industrial and infrastructural development that will necessitate extended monitoring, both temporally and spatially. In consideration of these results, this paper argues that a ‘responsive’ mode of heritage disaster intervention can bridge the gap between ‘reactive’ and ‘proactive’ modes, but requires development of an integrated (digital) methodology. Conclusions: The paper concludes by offering a new, more interconnected ‘transmethodology’ that addresses spatiality, sub-sampling, data reuse, and community input across multiple disciplines such as cultural heritage preservation, salvage archaeology, computer vision, and community archaeology. The authors developed this ‘transmethodology’ and the resulting workflows out of a theoretical framework that considers principles of Symmetrical Archaeology, Resilience Humanitarianism, and the CARE standard for inclusive data management (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, and Ethics).