Brian Blankespoor employed his computer skills to assist Petra Archaeological Park with the on-going development of a geographic information system (GIS) program.  Petra, a World Heritage Site, is located in the eastern side of the Jordan Rift Valley in south Jordan, 260 km south of Amman and 133 km north of Aqaba.  The site is best known as the former capital of the Nabataean Empire (3rd c. BC - 1c. AD), famous for its rock-cut architecture.  The park receives thousands of visitors each year.

GIS combines various types of data (textual, graphic, cartographic) into a single system that greatly enhances the ability of park planners to manage the cultural resources.   Brian worked partly in the field to collect data and check measurements and then spent time on the computer incorporating this data into the GIS.  His work included trail and vendor locations and monument and graffiti documentation throughout the park.  He also provided GIS training to some of the park's planning and management staff.

As part of a bilateral exchange, Brian's Jordanian counterpart--Tahani Al-Salhi--spent the fall months working at Cultural Site Research and Management in Baltimore, Maryland on similar aspects of Petra's GIS.

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