Building a comprehensive, research-oriented Geographic Information System (GIS) that incorporates all of the major research data on Umm el-Jimal—ancient and modern—is a critical target for the Umm el-Jimal Project’s long-term efforts to preserve and present the site. Because much of the research data preexists modern computer-based GIS technology, in Phase I staff began work on GIS by transforming almost 40 years of textual and visual data into appropriate digital formats based on international standards for archives, museums, and archaeology projects. Phase II of the project will develop a working, web-enabled prototype while adding spatial information to the project’s data. In Phase III the completed GIS will be made available to the public as an open, query-able archive for ongoing research and publication, accessible via the Internet.
Samples of the project's basic GIS data are available for download via the links below; much of the data utilized but not created directly by the Umm el-Jimal Project has been derived from public domain data sources, such as Natural Earth and CGIAR's SRTM Database. All downloadable materials on this page are licensed to users under a Creative Commons noncommercial copyright.
