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Mark Altaweel develops technology to support cultural protection
11 August 2023
Mark Altaweel (UCL Institute of Archaeology), with collaborative partners, has developed a digital tool to help prevent the looting of ancient artefacts.
Mark Altaweel has been collaborating with Abu Dhabi University and Walk of Truth, a non-profit organisation based in the Netherlands, in building blockchain technology to help with cultural protection.
The digital tool 'Salsal' that has been developed allows people to monitor, participate, and be involved in the management and protection of objects that are in a blockchain. Data is recorded across many computers to form a database of linked blocks. Once information is recorded on the blockchain, it cannot then be altered without changing all of the blocks in the chain and having the consensus of the network.
The use of blockchain technology could help put pressure on cultural institutions to deal with legitimate and ethically obtained objects as well as being used to help track the status and research about specific objects.
According to Mark:
“I see it as a way for cultural institutions to begin to share information about (their collections) to the public - so the public can also be involved in protecting them effectively or sharing knowledge about them."
Mark and his colleagues seek to implement the blockchain technology in the near future in cultural institutions in the UAE and elsewhere as the technology continues to be developed.
Salsal System Demo
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