The ANCHISE Final Forum took place in Athens, marking the culmination of three years of intensive research and collaboration dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage. Professor Sorin Hermon and Dr. Valentina Vassallo represented the important work done by APAC Labs during the final forum. Over several days, the Forum brought together researchers, policymakers, cultural heritage professionals, and law enforcement representatives to reflect on how ANCHISE has emerged as a reference point in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods.
The first day focused on the ANCHISE toolbox, presenting the project’s suite of innovative digital tools and the interdisciplinary processes behind their development. Amongst these tools was GUARDIAN-CH, the innovative tool developed by the team at APAC Labs. The tool is a shared database relying on metadata structure for the description and interconnection of various archaeological categories. It allows better data and information sharing among stakeholders of the fight against illicit trafficking against cultural heritage.
Contributions from the Greek Ministry of Culture and dedicated roundtables on tool design and implementation demonstrated how collaboration across sectors translated into practical, usable solutions grounded in community needs. Importantly, Dr. Vassallo moderated a roundtable discussion on data interconnection, formats, tools and challenges for transdisciplinary use.
ANCHISE demonstrated how interdisciplinary collaboration and the tools developed can transform fragmented and heterogeneous data into actionable solutions. By bridging technological innovation, humanities research, and operational practice, the project strengthened European capacities for the detection, prevention, and investigation of illicit trafficking.
The Forum concluded by highlighting the role of humanities-led research in driving innovation, the importance of supporting early-career researchers, and the ongoing challenges and opportunities in this line of work, paving the way to future collaborations in the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural heritage.
