iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

We all need a break during a busy day in the field 🥱 How does our field specialist Babar spend his well earned rest I hear you ask? By keeping up to speed with MAHSA's social media! You too can kick back like an archaeologist by following us on all our platforms: linktr.ee/mahsaproject

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Dr Samia for Scale 📏 When you don’t have a scale during survey, you have to think on your feet – literally! 📷 Afifa Khan, near Phulra, Cholistan

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The Power of Projection 🌍 Last Friday the UN General Assembly voted to adopt a new world map. Proposed by Togo and the African Union, the “Correct the Map” resolution succeeded in replacing the historic Mercator projection with a map that more accurately represents the true size of continents.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

⚔️ Arming an (almost) Emperor 17th century Lahore was the beating heart of the Mughal Empire’s arms industry, exemplified by the ornate sword of Dara Shikoh (1615-1659). Made from rippled wootz steel and ornamented with gold, this bedazzled blade was an unmistakeable symbol of status.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Do you live in north-west India or northern Pakistan? If so, you may be able to explore the history of your home town with our Survey of India map repository! Take, for example, the bustling city of Amritsar in Punjab, India.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

“With numerous heatwaves in the UK and Pakistan, the MAHSA field team have been battling non-stop heat this year. In the last survey it was our greatest adversary. The heat was everywhere. In our bodies, our minds, our breaths and our water bottles."

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Uncovering the secrets of South Asia’s historical maps 🤫 For decades the colonial Survey of India documented rich heritage landscapes, hidden within their detailed maps. Buildings, mounds, cemeteries, and other archaeological sites were recorded by South Asian surveyors – almost always uncredited.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

A Gandharan Odyssey? 🐎 Today’s unsubtle pop-culture crossover takes us to ancient Gandhara and the Peshawar Valley, Pakistan. This schist panel (c. 2nd century CE) was potentially found on a well near the village of Hund and adopts the classical imagery of the Trojan War.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Mapping Mania 🗺️ One of MAHSA’s main outputs is georeferencing historical Survey of India maps. And as of July, we’ve reached over four-million square kilometres of georeferencing coverage in South Asia.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The Mystery of the Indus Unicorn 🦄 Meet the enigmatic one-horned creature of the Indus Valley Civilisation, a recurring image found on stamp seals recovered from archaeological sites. This steatite example dates to c. 2500-2000 BCE and was found at the iconic Mohenjo-daro site in Pakistan.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

From Salt to Sovereignty 🧂✊ This week we remember the courageous resistance to imperial rule embodied by the Salt March of 1930. Led by Mahatma Gandhi, this iconic act of civil disobedience aimed to break the British salt monopoly on a very public stage.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

One mound, one hundred years ⌛ Sitting in the southwest of Sirsa, Haryana, you can easily spot a large archaeological mound. While we don’t know much about the site, our documentation work enables us to chart its relationship with the growing city as it starts to surround it.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Pillars of Punjab 🕌🛕👑 Old Survey of India maps reveal many forgotten monuments of bygone eras. Plenty remain standing today but have melded into the background of everyday life in South Asia. Enter the Kos Minar!

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Learn how to georeference historical maps with MAHSA & MAEASaM ▶️🗺️ Want to work with old maps for yourself? Our latest GIS workshop will teach you how! 🔗 Watch now: youtube.com/playlist?lis...

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Surveying in the shadow of Kussak Fort, Chakwal, Pakistan 🏰 Follow the MAHSA field team as they document this impressive site, once controlled by the Janjua Rajputs from the 11th century. “This was us finishing our records in the shade after hiking up Kussak Fort in the morning..."

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

AI in Archaeology – it’s more than just a trend 🤖 At MAHSA, we’re actively using machine learning to identify potential archaeological mounds in collaboration with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Introducing Dr Charlotte Evans! 🤝 We’re excited to introduce our newest team member, Charlotte, who specialises in GIS and hydrology. Charlotte is joining us following her PhD and postdoc in Manchester, where she worked for the NERC Digital Solutions Programme.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Today marks the International Day of Potato, putting the spudlight on these vital veggies. Surveyed in 1968, our first map shows India’s Central Potato Research Institute in Himachal Pradesh. It helped popularise potato cultivation in the region and continues its spudtactular research today.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Level up your GIS and digital heritage skills with the MAHSA & MAEASaM YouTube channel 🗺️💻 Explore our growing collection of playlists designed to build foundational knowledge in digital heritage management: www.youtube.com/@mahsa_maeas... @maeasamproject.bsky.social

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Getting figgy with it 🌳🕺 The peepal tree, or Ficus religiosa, frames this weathered temple in Punjab, Pakistan. Native to the Indian subcontinent, the sacred fig has religious significance in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. It’s a real peepal pleaser.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

“The landscape between Ludhiana city and Malerkotla town feels like two different worlds in the hot summer and smog-filled winter."

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

By Friday, the tanks have run dry after a week's surveying 🥱 Sending energy to our MAHSA colleagues, Afifa & Babar, for this week's ground truthing! #SurveyStories #Archaeology #Heritage #Pakistan

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Bellum by the Jhelum ⚔️ Crossed swords mark the spot of a battlefield on the historic map, north of Chillianwala in Mandi Bahauddin District, Pakistan. This likely signifies the location of the Battle of Chillianwala (1849) – a brutal stalemate in the Second Anglo-Sikh war.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Introducing Shoaib Mohammad! 🤝 The latest member of our Cambridge team, Shoaib trained as an architect at the National College of Arts, Lahore, before specialising in building conservation through an MSc in Sustainable Building Conservation at Cardiff University.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Ground truthing + ground coffee, a recipe for success in the field ☕ Afifa, Waqar and Moazzam were back on the road again, in the Cholistan Desert. With some fancy beans and an AeroPress, any coffee snob will be happy in the field. Not sponsored by AeroPress but we’re open to offers 👀

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

The hidden histories of cities 🏙️ Heritage underpins our lives in so many ways, often unseen. But these hidden entanglements with the past can be revealed in historical maps. For today’s #MappingMonday we look at Bahawalpur, Pakistan, in 1908.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

MAHSA & MAEASaM at the Cambridge Festival! 🏔️🧩 We brought mapping to the masses last weekend at the fantastic Cambridge Festival Family Weekend. Over 1,000 visitors joined us at the University Centre where our teams joined the department to share interactive archaeological experiences with families.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Spilling the tea on field surveys in India 🫖 Well-earned refreshments with Kuili & Anisha after a long day of surveying in Ludhiana district! A special thank you to the farmer who saved the team's car from an agricultural field with his tractor 😅🚜

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Mapping is for everyone! 🗺️ In today’s #MappingMonday we venture to the region around Garhmukteshwar, Uttar Pradesh. Sat between the Ganges River and the former Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway, the town highlights the methods, challenges, and opportunities of georeferencing historical maps.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Eid Mubarak and Nowruz Mobarak from the MAHSA team 🥳 It’s a double bill of blessings today as we celebrate Eid al-Fitr and the Persian New Year. Whether you are breaking your fast and/or bringing in the new year, we hope you enjoy cherished moments and delicious food with your loved ones.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Bake Your Project 🧁 This week, MAHSA team members hosted Bake Your Project at the McDonald Institute, where colleagues baked treats inspired by the projects they work on. We raised over £170 for Cambridge Community Kitchen to support their fight against food poverty in Cambridge.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Arches Workshop available on YouTube! ▶️ Learn how the MAHSA & MAEASaM Projects are sharing their work with the world, and how you can create your own open access heritage database. youtube.com/playlist?lis...

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Watch our latest GIS workshop ▶️ The recent MAHSA-MAEASaM online GIS workshop can now be enjoyed on our YouTube channel! 🔗 youtube.com/playlist?lis...

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

This week MAHSA & MAEASaM hosted a successful workshop covering the application, history, and challenges of GIS in archaeology. 280 participants joined us from over 30 countries, bringing together an international community interested in strengthening the use of GIS in archaeological research. (1/5)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Join our next South Asia: Women in the Field meeting! 🕑 Thursday, February 26th, 2-4 pm (GMT) 📍 McDonald Institute Seminar Room, Downing Site, Cambridge

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

In today’s #MappingMonday we join MAHSA team members Afifa Khan & Babar Hussain as they survey Nankana Sahib in Pakistan: “Nankana Sahib is a peculiarly shaped district, not far from Lahore, and is renowned for being a part of the Sikh pilgrimage route in Pakistani Punjab..."

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

The first episode of South Asia: Women in the Field is now available on YouTube. Join Malini Roy, Professor M.B. Rajani and Vaneshree Vidyarthi as they discuss the conservation of archaeological heritage using ground-breaking geospatial methods. 🔗 Tune in here! youtu.be/IolMTRC0zPc?...

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

🗺️ Historic maps of South Asia – now at your fingertips The MAHSA Project is thrilled to share our open-access search portal for historic Survey of India maps! (1/3)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

New podcast episode 🎙️ This week MAHSA’s Afifa Khan joins the Career in Ruins Podcast with Derek Pitman & Lawrence Shaw. Afifa shares her story as an archaeologist working in the UK & Pakistan, discussing vital topics such as cross-cultural collaboration and the empowerment of women in archaeology.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Introducing Max Fancourt! 🤝 Joining us from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Max is developing mound detection models to facilitate the documentation and protection of heritage sites in India and Pakistan.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Introducing Dr Anisha Singh! 🤝 Anisha joined the team last year as a postdoctoral research associate and has been supporting vital project activities in India, such as our field survey of Ludhiana. The project has benefited greatly from her knowledge and experience. Thanks for joining us, Anisha!

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Introducing Babar Hussain! 🤝 Today we're spotlighting Research Assistant Babar, who recently joined the MAHSA team in collaboration with the University of the Punjab. Babar is supporting the project in Pakistan, including ground-truthing archaeological sites in the field.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Published open access! 🚨 The MAHSA Project & Partners present a new article in the Journal of Field Archaeology, exploring the Survey of India’s often incidental recording of archaeological sites and our ongoing work to document this heritage. Read the full article now: doi.org/10.1080/0093...

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

This week the Cambridge team attended the Secret Maps exhibition at the British Library. We enjoyed exploring the fascinating history of covert cartography, and we’re especially grateful to curator Nick Dykes for introducing us to the collection.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

At this time of year, India celebrates harvest festivals spanning the whole country. From plain to delta to farmland, each festival marks the same agricultural milestone through region-specific traditions. Viewed through the lens of mapping, India’s harvest season becomes a living cultural atlas.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

For our first #MappingMonday of 2026, we’re highlighting a recent field survey conducted by Afifa Khan (University of Cambridge) & Dr Samia Anwar (University of Chakwal). The MAHSA team recorded various ‘British Colonial’ buildings, including the ‘Old Railway Station’, abandoned in 1993.

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

📢 Positions open for application! Are you trained in GIS and remote sensing, with an interest in archaeological and heritage research? Join the MAHSA research team by applying here: www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc... & www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

📣 MAHSA & MAEASaM host CAA-UK 25! Last week we welcomed a record number of delegates to Cambridge for the CAA-UK conference on computer applications and quantitative methods in archaeology. (1/2) @rebecca-roberts.bsky.social

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

CAA-UK 25 Conference Programme is now available! 📣 We have prepared an exciting schedule of workshops, talks, posters and more - explore here: uk.caa-international.org/2025/11/20/c...

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Join us online or in person for a talk from MAHSA’s Vaneshree Vidyarthi: ‘Mapping the Indian Palaeolithic’, part of the London Centre for the Ancient Near East’s Autumn seminar series. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lcane-autu...

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