Now Available (Open Access): Heritage Forensics

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I am excited to announce that our co-authored book, Heritage Forensics: Culture on the Front Lines of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict, is now officially published by Cornell University Press and available to the public.

In keeping with our commitment to making this research widely accessible to scholars, journalists, activists, and policymakers worldwide, the volume has been published as an open-access resource. You can download the digital edition completely free of charge using the link below:

About the Book

Co-authored with Lori Khatchadourian, Adam T. Smith, and Ian Lindsay, Heritage Forensics introduces a new framework for investigating cultural heritage caught in the crosshairs of war and political violence. By combining satellite-based spatial analysis with humanistic research, we document the impact of protracted conflict on the heritagescape of the South Caucasus.

Drawing directly from our forensic monitoring data at Caucasus Heritage Watch, this work aims to provide a rigorous model for bearing witness to cultural erasure and tracking threats in real time.

If you prefer a physical copy for your shelf, the print edition is also available for purchase through the Cornell University Press website.

Forthcoming Publication: Heritage Forensics (July 2026)

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I am pleased to share that my co-authored book, Heritage Forensics: Culture on the Front Lines of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict, is scheduled for release on July 15, 2026, by Cornell University Press.

Co-authored with Lori Khatchadourian, Adam T. Smith, and Ian Lindsay, the book introduces a new framework for investigating cultural heritage caught in the crosshairs of war. By combining satellite-based spatial analysis with humanistic research, we document the impact of protracted conflict on the heritagescape of the South Caucasus. Our work aims to provide a model for bearing witness to cultural erasure in an era of post-truths, offering a reflexive approach to investigate cultural heritage abuses under threat. This volume establishes a new forensic model for investigating cultural heritage threatened by political violence.

Heritage abuses in Karabakh and religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan

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On June 5, 2025, as the lead researcher at Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW), I testified before the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) regarding religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan. I presented CHW’s monitoring and documentation of threats and abuses against Armenian cultural heritage in the Karabakh region, highlighting their implications for religious freedom in the country.

The full video of the hearing can be found below:

More details on the USCIRF hearing can be found here.

Relational spaces

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Nation in Motion: Relational Spaces of Modern Armenia Since the 19th Century

The goal of this project, completed in February 2020 under the title Nation in Motion: Relational Spaces of Modern Armenia Since the 19th Century, was to map the origins of populations in the settlements of modern Armenia and analyze the dynamics of population migration, resettlement, and displacement resulting from major historical events.

The dataset compiled for the project encompasses population movements since the 19th century, addressing significant events such as the Russo-Turkish War, the Armenian Genocide, Soviet-era resettlements, repatriation to the Armenian SSR, and the First Karabakh War.

Utilizing this dataset, I developed an interactive map using Tableau, which is available to explore [here].

The map’s filter view, categorized by historical periods and events, facilitates a deeper understanding of population flows into modern Armenia’s territory during various historical contexts.

The dataset, its scope, limitations, and sources are available under the CC-BY-4.0 license on Open Science Framework [here].

The dataset as well as the interactive map have not been updated since February 2020.