AVDAT.ORG

On March 13, 2007, at a ceremony in the Negev town of Avdat, Israel's ancient Spice Route (Incense Route) through the Negev Desert was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. As can be seen on the map below, Avdat sits directly at the center on the Spice Route, between Petra and Gaza.

Just as Avdat has traditionally been the centerpoint through which wildly diverse cultures and forces have trafficked, it remains today a quiet central node to the winds of change that will unlock the future of the region.

In keeping with the historic goal to populate and urbanize the Negev, we believe that technology is the driver towards this reality. Geoarchaeology as an inter-disciplinary science remains at the forefront of our work, merging methodology and know-how with technology into a strategic planning tool.

AVDAT.ORG is dedicated to the integration of near surface geophysical studies, remote sensing and EOS (Earth Observation Systems), and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in support of open area archaeology. We apply advanced data mining and fusion technology for risk assessment and contingency planning, focused on desert and dryland regions.

AVDAT.ORG works closely with the ADASR Project Israel, Ancient Desert Agriculture Systems Revived. Our purpose is to focus on this specific area, so as to apply lessons of the past to future planning for this region.

Avdat was midpoint on the ancient incense and spice route. Click for ArcIMS GIS application showing excavated sites in the region from all time periods.