Baku State University (BSU) is hosting an international interdisciplinary seminar titled “Unveiling the Archaeological Secrets of Gobustan through Geophysical Methods.”

The seminar is organized by BSU in partnership with the Gobustan National Historical and Cultural Reserve, the University of Luxembourg, Tel Aviv University, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Opening the event, BSU Rector Elchin Babayev noted that Gobustan is a shared heritage of Azerbaijan and humanity. While the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2007, much of the area's history remains unexplored. Ancient settlements, structures and water systems may still lie beneath the surface.

The seminar focuses on studying these archaeological remains without excavation or physical damage to the protected landscape, using modern geophysical methods, remote sensing, GIS, digital humanities and artificial intelligence.

The programme features presentations by international experts, including Prof. Lev Eppelbaum of Tel Aviv University, Prof. Olga Khabarova of the University of Luxembourg, and Prof. Michal Birkenfeld of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, as well as BSU researchers.

As part of the seminar, researchers will conduct geophysical surveys and remote-sensing data collection in the Gobustan archaeological area. The collected data will subsequently be analyzed and processed using AI at BSU to identify priorities for further research.

The initiative brings together expertise in geophysics, geology, archaeology, geography, computer science and digital humanities to advance the non-invasive study of Gobustan.