GIS-Multi-Criteria Analysis for the prediction of the site historic locations in the SAHARA desert, Zab El Gharbi, Biskra (Algeria)

Urban heritage areas, regardless of their urban history’s age, are considered an essential part of the local culture, a necessary foundation for cultural tourism, and a driving force behind the local economy. They also hold a significant place in the collective memory of local societies (Badawy, S. et al., 2020; Al-Saffar, M., 2017). Algeria’s urban heritage represents a highly diverse reality, comprising colonial towns, historic "Medinas" in cities located on agricultural plains or along the coast, and a long chain of Ksours, connecting southern Morocco to southern Tunisia, displaying an undeniably rich urban heritage (Cote. M., 2005).
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing have provided new opportunities for heritage urban management over the past decade (Rawlands and Sarris, 2007; Haidar-Boustani et al., 2004; Siart et al., 2008). Archaeological studies have gained fresh insights, mainly due to the widespread use of new technologies and software development (Lock and Stancic, 1995; Allen et al., 1990). High-resolution satellite imagery has been particularly beneficial to archaeology and heritage management (Pappu et al., 2010). Consequently, through the development of GIS-based models, remote sensing data have become a standard tool for predicting and locating historical sites. However, these methods have never been applied in the Sahara Desert (Roeloffs et al., 2011; Belmonte et al., 1999; Linstadter et al, 2013).
In Maghreb regions, especially in Algeria, archaeological surveys often rely on traditional techniques such as field inventories, where local population testimonies play a crucial role in locating archaeological sites (Galan et al…