March 2026
Publication at MDPI – HERITAGE
A new publication from Dr. Argyro Argyrou was realised earlier today. Abstract Detecting surface potsherds using low-altitude remote sensing is challenging due to severe class imbalance and limited training data. This study develops and validates a semi-automatic detection methodology that adapts threshold-optimized boosting classifiers (AdaBoost, XGBoost) to maximize ceramic detection recall under extreme class imbalance in the Western Megaris archeological landscape, Greece. Models were trained on only 15% of the available data to simulate realistic field conditions. Evaluation emphasized recall-oriented metrics (precision,...February 2026
Guest Lecture on “CONNECTING Cloud Data Center for 2D and 3D Cultural Heritage Geospatial Data”
A guest lecture on the topic of “The CONNECTING Cloud Data Centre for 2D and 3D Cultural Heritage Geospatial Data: An Integrated Research Infrastructure for Data Monitoring, Preservation and Sustainability” was delivered within the framework of the research activities of the Department of Planning and Regional Development, School of Engineering, University of Thessaly. The presentation took place on 11 and 12 February 2026, at the premises of the Laboratory of Spatial Analysis, GIS and Thematic Mapping, where the CONNECTING project was...January 2026
Publication at MDPI – HERITAGE
A new publication from Nikola Melilo was realised earlier today. Abstract: Chatbots have emerged as a promising interface for facilitating access to complex datasets, allowing users to pose questions in natural language rather than relying on specialized technical workflows. At the same time, remote sensing has transformed archaeological practice by producing vast amounts of imagery from LiDAR, drones, and satellites. While these advances have created unprecedented opportunities for discovery, they also pose significant challenges due to the scale, heterogeneity, and interpretative...
Meeting with the Deputy Minister of Culture of Cyprus on Cultural Heritage
Earlier today, a meeting was held with the Deputy Minister of Culture of Cyprus, during which various issues related to cultural heritage were discussed, as well as ongoing actions and projects in this field. During the meeting, an overview of the CONNECTING project was also presented by the project coordinator, Athos Agapiou, including information on activities related to the Data Centre, Open Innovation Research Infrastructures, Open Access initiatives, and the geoserver developed as part of the project’s infrastructure.
Participation in the ESA Workshop on Cyprus’s Transition to Associate Membership
Members of the Connecting Project participated in the educational workshop entitled “Empowering Cyprus Space Stakeholders: ESA Associate Membership and Optional Programmes”, which took place on Friday, 9 January 2026, at Cleopatra Hotel, Nicosia. The event was co-organised by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, the Department of Electronic Communications | Cyprus Space Office, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). The workshop focused on Cyprus’s transition to ESA Associate Membership and provided detailed presentations and training...December 2025
PhD Dissertation Defence – Dr. Argyro Argyrou
Congratulations to Dr. Argyro Argyrou, member of the CONNECTING Project, on the successful defence of her PhD dissertation, presented during an open lecture. Her doctoral research, entitled “Addressing the Accuracy Paradox in Archaeological Ceramic Surface Detection Using Low-Altitude, High-Resolution Remote Sensing Data”, makes a significant contribution to archaeological remote sensing and computational archaeology by integrating UAV-based high-resolution and multispectral imagery with advanced machine learning techniques. By addressing the accuracy paradox in imbalanced archaeological datasets through boosting algorithms (AdaBoost, XGBoost), decision-threshold...
2nd Annual Meeting
The 2nd Annual Meeting of the CONNECTING project took place earlier today at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) premises. Attendees included representatives from consortium partners such as the Cyprus University of Technology, Infralabs, the University of Cyprus (UCY), and the Department of Antiquities, as well as project supporters from the Department of Land and Surveys. The discussions focused on a consolidated review of the project’s overall progress as it approaches its completion in May 2026. Particular emphasis was placed on...
Successful Completion of the UAV Data Collection & Processing Training Program
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Lifelong Learning Center of the Cyprus University of Technology/ Κέντρο Δια Βίου Μάθησης Τεχνολογικού Πανεπιστημίου Κύπρου for providing us with this opportunity. The three educational cycles of the Continuing Professional Education and Training Program “Data Collection and Processing with Unmanned Aircraft Systems” were successfully completed for this year. https://www.cut.ac.cy/.../data_collection_and_processing/ We would like to warmly thank the Rector’s Office of the Cyprus University of Technology / Τεχνολογικό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου for their continuous support...November 2025
