PU, Cambridge launch heritage mapping training

Lahore:Punjab University’s Department of Archaeology, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, inaugurated a five-day training programme titled ‘Mapping Archaeological Heritage in South Asia’ (MAHSA) on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and heritage documentation here on Monday. PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Ali, Dean Faculty of Arts and Humanities Prof Dr Mahboob Hussain, Department of Archaeology Student Advisor Dr Samia Tahir, Assistant Professors Dr Nafees Ahmad and Dr Muhammad Azeem, and students attended the opening ceremony. Addressing the ceremony, Prof Dr Muhammad Ali appreciated the efforts of the Department of Archaeology and thanked the resource persons from the University of Cambridge for providing a valuable training opportunity to students. He said the training plays a vital role in heritage documentation, preservation and career development of young archaeologists. He also lauded the university’s faculty and students for producing commendable academic and research output des
pite limited resources. Dr Samia Tahir moderated the session, while MAHSA Training Manager Ms Azadeh Vafadari and Ms Afifa from the University of Cambridge are facilitating the training. The programme covers applications of QGIS in archaeology, remote sensing, georeferencing, Open Data Kit (ODK) survey methods, reading one-inch historical maps, identifying features on historical maps and photographing archaeological heritage. The five-day training programme will continue until October 16.