Armenian Heritage Management System
Project Outline
From scope to partners
Scope
The project is to create a standardized, comprehensive, GIS-based, and legally binding inventory system for Armenian cultural heritage, aligned with international standards and accessible via an online platform — serving as a foundational resource for preservation, advocacy, and future research. The first year will start by setting up the needed technical, scientific, and legal infrastructure, and populating the database with data from immovable heritage (monuments and archaeological sites) in Artsakh and Syunik. The goal is then to expand over the next years to other forms of cultural heritage (language, music, textile, non-tangible, etc…) across Armenia, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and beyond..
Context
The existing databases and management systems for Armenian cultural heritage have significant gaps, are often difficult or impossible to access, and do not conform to international norms and legal standards. Irrespective of the wealth of the heritage, without proper organization, access, and promotion, it is in danger of being lost and/or falsified. At a time when Armenian heritage is targeted, this project is an urgent effort to address these shortcomings with the use of information technology as a critical ingredient in heritage preservation and management, policy making, international geopolitics, and security.
Team
Appointed by the ArCH Council:
Gaianè Casnati (Europa Nostra),
Patrick Donabedian (Université Aix-Marseille),
Jasmine Dum-Tragut (University of Salzburg), Haroutioun Khatchadourian (IT and Project Management, Supelec Paris),
Christina Maranci (Harvard University), Armenian Bar Association (pro bono legal guidance).
Project phases
The project is designed to start with immovable heritage (architectural and archaeological elements), and would be expanded to include other cultural domains (sculptures, archaeological findings, paintings, ethno-anthropological material heritage such as textile art and ceramics, literature and manuscripts, films and and photography, immaterial heritage such as cuisine, dialects, and
oral traditions, music,…). For each typology, the project would include the CIDOC identification, the creation of the IT framework, and the data population.
CIDOC identification
Release
Framework & data import
Training of data providers SCRUM-based delivery system
Broad Goals
❖ Supporting Armenian institutions in updating their processes in data collection and management and in improving institutional collaborations and management
❖ Promoting digitization of data to make Armenian culture accessible to a larger community of scholars and to the public worldwide, through its publication in international platforms (i.e., Europeana)
❖ Promoting Armenian culture and heritage internationally and keeping track of centuries of Armenian heritage around the world to protect it from destruction, falsification, and neglect
❖ Contributing to the fostering of the Armenian identity and to projecting soft power strategically
Organizational Stakeholders
The database is to be an open-source project co-owned by
The First Year
Focusing on immovable heritage in Artsakh and Syunik
Key components
Source Consolidation and data formatting
Organize and verify data from existing records and field surveys. Standardize formats, ensure transliteration accuracy, and create consistency across the dataset.
Structure the inventory
Sub-inventory A: Buildings (e.g., chapels, monasteries, churches, castles) –
Develop a controlled vocabulary for the classification of objects and their descriptions. Incorporate or adapt the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus for consistency with international standards.
Descriptive Information and Categorization:
Identify and formalize essential descriptive categories for each sub-inventory: Buildings: Place, Type, Subtype, Name, Dating, Condition, Inscription presence.
Monoliths: Place, Century, Number.
Sites: Place, Type, Number.
Database Preparation:
Organize all data into a structured format, ready for database input or standalone use.
Data Input and Validation
Ensure all entries are accurate, complete, and aligned with predefined categories.
Visualization
Generate a set of 21 maps (one per region and type of sub-inventory). Create 21 graphs and tables to analyze and present the data effectively.
Integration with Broader Efforts
Partner with local and international experts for the implementation and validation of the database. Align the project with the objectives of the broader Heritage Management System for wider accessibility and impact.
Ensure compatibility with GIS-based systems like QGIS for further analysis and mapping.
Training and Capacity Building: Conduct workshops for local staff on documentation and GIS mapping.
Data input
Facilitate data input from different archives to promote the integration of all data collection in a unique database hosted by the Scientific Research Centre for Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia.
Project Details
Timeline for the first year
Project timeline
Phase 1: Preparation and Planning (Months 1-4)
❖ Assemble the project team and finalize the scientific committee.
❖ Finalize existing data standardization with the experts of the Scientific Research Center for Historical and Cultural Heritage.
❖ Develop controlled vocabulary, thesaurus, and inventory structure.
❖ Set the legal environment to allow the possibility to use the database as a tool for the protection of the monuments of Artsakh.
Phase 2: Data Input and training (Months 5-9)
❖ Conduct workshops for local staff on documentation and GIS mapping.
❖ Formalize and input descriptive data into structured form for database input or standalone use.
❖ Ensure all entries are accurate, complete, and aligned with predefined categories.
❖ Validate and cross-check consistency across entries.
❖ Set tools and a methodology for the creation of maps, tables, and graphs using QGIS and other tools. Generate a set of 21 maps (one per region and type of sub-inventory). Create 21 graphs and tables to analyze and present the data effectively.
Phase 3: Digital Platform Development (Months 6-12)
❖ Design and develop a user-friendly GIS-based database and website to access the inventory.
❖ Set tools and a methodology for data import from different databases to facilitate integration of data in a unique platform.
❖ Start the population of the platform with validated data and visualization outputs partnering with local and international experts for the implementation and validation of the database.
❖ Facilitate data input from different archives to promote the integration of all data collections in a unique database hosted by the Scientific Research Centre for Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia.
❖ Conduct testing and quality assurance to ensure seamless user experience.
❖ Beta release.
Phase 4: Publication and Assessment (Months 9-15)
❖ Training material and program for data input.
❖ Generate and distribute a summary report for stakeholders, including a detailed assessment by the ArCH Council.
❖ Launch the platform publicly and organize a public presentation to highlight findings and achievements.
Project Details
Metrics & management
Evaluation metrics
Operational Metrics: Number of entries digitized, database usage statistics.
Impact Metrics: Awareness raised through platform promotion and increased collaboration with international experts.
Quality Metrics: Feedback from local and international stakeholders on data comprehensiveness and system usability.
Reporting: A year-end assessment report will be produced by the ArCH task force, reviewing progress, challenges, and recommendations.
More information
This project is endorsed by ASOF’a ArCH’s Council and delegated to SIREH.
For more information about ASOF, ArCH, and SIREH, see separate over new of ASOF, ArCH, and SIREH.
cost and launch
2024-25 Total Budget - $350,000
Already Secured: $100,000 /year donated by Synergy for use of their platform
Remaining Funding Need: $250,000
$60,000 CIDOC, setting up tools, processes, and legal parameters
$180,000 Software development and testing
$40,000 Data input and testing
Ministry of ESCS ArCH Task Force
NUACA, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography
SIREH
Synergy platform donated (value $100,000) + 2 IT engineers. Cybersecurity provided by RA’s ISAA.
$11,000 Travel
$35,000 Training
Supervised by SIREH: Collection, Scanning.
Experts from France and Italy, coordination with Europa Nostra.
Training personnel Hosting if workshops and updates
$24,000 Program management, promotion, assessment, and auditing SIREH team
$350,000