The Digital Heritage Trails Project (DHTP) was supported by the Cultural Protection Fund in partnership with the British Council and the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport. The project was developed by MaritimEA Research in partnership with Kaspar Consulting and A.P.P.A.R.A.T.U.S. LLC/Chrononaut.
The DHTP had two main aims: The digital preservation of endangered maritime archaeological sites using high resolution 3D documentation methods and the development of a digital heritage trail to enable greater access to these remote sites. The project involved the documentation of vulnerable archaeological sites in the Indus Delta region of the southern province of Sindh, in Pakistan including Banbhore, Ratukot, Jam Jaskar Goth, Ranokot, and Lahiri Bandar. Although sites like Banbhore and Ratukot are close to Karachi, many others are challenging to access due to their remote locations and the inherent challenges of navigating the delta. By digitally bringing these distant archaeological sites to audiences worldwide, the project overcomes these obstacles and makes heritage more accessible. The trail tells the story of these ancient places through an engaging, immersive, and interactive experience.
Creating a digital twin of archaeological sites. The original picture of Banbhore is on the left with the model on the right
Aside from the city of Banbhore, many of these sites were previously known only to the local fisherfolk and inhabitants of the delta. An important outcome of the project involved bringing these sites to a broader audience, particularly to communities like Karachi and northern parts of Sindh. Highlighting the impact of climate change on the delta sites was essential for people to develop an understanding of the region in the context of rising sea levels, increasingly severe catastrophic floods, and more frequent extreme weather events.
The DHTP used high resolution photogrammetric techniques to create ‘digital twins’ of these maritime sites. The data was used to generate archival quality high precision 3D models of each site which were shared with the regulatory authorities responsible for the protection and management of archaeological sites in the Sindh province.
Lahiri Bandar on an island in the Indus Delta
Aerial view of Banbhore
Outline of submerged Jam Jaskar Goth Fort
Ranokot Fort
Ratukot Fort, on Muchaq Island, surrounded completely by water on all sides
The purpose of this trail was to bridge the gap between people and their heritage. Most people know only of Banbhore, a government-managed and protected heritage site. The rest are almost completely unknown despite archaeological investigations having taken place on Lahiri Bandar, Ratukot, and Jam Jaskar Goth. Additionally, both local and international audiences are largely unaware of the history of the Indus Delta region, including its role as a hub of trade, culture, and civilization. The project’s Digital Heritage Trail and information sessions are designed to bridge this gap by making this history more accessible and engaging.
Deep in the delta, these sites also face considerable threat from climate change and human activity. Jam Jaskar Goth, for instance, is completely submerged except at certain times during the year. On the other hand, Ranokot has been completely destroyed by human activity such as agriculture and livestock farming. The stones from the fort’s walls have been carried away by locals to be used in the construction of their own homes. These pressures highlight the urgency of documenting and safeguarding the sites before they are lost entirely. The project’s focus on 3D documentation and community engagement is a critical step toward mitigating these threats.
View the site data on the Open Heritage 3D platform. The Open Heritage 3D project was developed to make 3D cultural heritage data open and accessible and remove the barriers for content producers to publish their data. The objectives of the Open Heritage 3D platform are to:
• Provide open access to 3D cultural heritage datasets for education, research and other non-commercial uses.
• Minimize the technical, financial and legal barriers for publishers of 3D heritage data.
• Promote discovery and re-use of datasets through standardized metadata and data formats.
• Foster community collaboration and knowledge sharing in the 3D cultural heritage community.
• Share best practices and methodologies for the capture, processing and storage of 3D cultural heritage data.
View the Lost Cities of the Indus Delta site data and download the datafiles for your own research
Sketchfab is an online platform that makes it easy for anyone to publish and find 3D content online. With a community of millions of creators
who have published millions of models, Sketchfab is the largest platform for immersive and interactive 3D content online.
You can even view MaritimEA’s the
Lost Cities of the Indus Delta
collection in VR if you have a 3D headset.
View our interviews with local community members and experts about the Lost Cities of the Indus Delta
MaritimEA Youtube channel
Our main project video is available with English, Urdu or Sindhi subtitles.
Pictures with students of TCF schools
The project included a community outreach programme in February 2025 that took the Lost Cities of the Indus Delta experience to students in the delta. From Ibrahim Hyderi to Keti Bandar, the team went to ten schools and interacted with 356 eager and attentive students from grades 7 to 11. The project included a community outreach programme in February 2025 that took the Lost Cities of the Indus Delta experience to students in the delta. From Ibrahim Hyderi to Keti Bandar, the team went to ten schools and interacted with 356 eager and attentive students from grades 7 to 11.
Women at the Pakistan FisherFolk Forum head office in Ibrahim Hyderi relaying their memories of visiting the sites when they were younger
A community workshop was co-hosted with the Pakistan FisherFolk Forum at Ibrahim Haidri that highlighted the impact of climate change on the lost cities of the Indus delta and other similar cultural heritage sites in the region. These impacts were reflected in the personal stories of the participants, speaking of displacement and migration due to climate change.
Women at the Pakistan FisherFolk Forum head office in Ibrahim Hyderi relaying their memories of visiting the sites when they were younger
Staff, Students and members of the NED History Group at the MaritimEA lecture on the Lost Cities of the Indus Delta
A public lecture and showing of the DHTP project video was, with the support of the NED History Group and Department of Architecture and Planning, held at the NED University’s City Campus. The lecture was followed by a discussion on the archaeological heritage of the Indus Delta in Sindh.
Staff, Students and members of the NED History Group at the MaritimEA lecture on the Lost Cities of the Indus Delta
