| Site Description | Located on Mushaq island in the northwestern Indus delta, Ratukot was possibly a Sasanian era military fort and customs port. Its primary function would have been to protect the port city of Banbhore that lay 29 kms to the east. From the 20th century onwards, however, the island has largely been swept underwater, with large parts of the island being submerged at high tide. Sea level rise in this part of the delta has also resulted in undermining the fort structure.
The origins of the fort are as yet undetermined, however, archaeologists have discovered pottery sherds dating to the Sassanian or early Islamic period. Historical sources also document Sassanian influence and control of the delta region during the fifth century AD. The Sassanians recognised the coastal region’s importance in the maritime network of the Indian Ocean and often built forts along the coast for protection against pirates.
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| Project Description | The Digital Heritage Trails Project (DHTP) involves the documentation of endangered archaeological sites in the Indus Delta region in Southern Pakistan. DHTP has developed high-precision 3D representations, or "digital copies", of these sites to support effective site management, heritage conservation efforts, and climate impact mitigation. The project has also created a digital heritage trail called the "Lost Cities of the Indus Delta". The heritage trail is an exciting and innovative explorative experience, curated to provide a public audience with an online, interactive, and immersive experience, while exploring the rich history of the Indus Delta region.
Photogrametry using a DJI Mavic 3 enterprise with RTK position fixing enabled. Photos were were captured using a 20 MP 4/3 CMOS sensor in RAW (.DNG) format. Handheld photography was undertaken using a Sony A7IV with images saved in RAW format. Objectives were to produce a high resoltion 3D model of the site. |