War is so detrimental to archeology as has been demonstrated in countless conflicts in recent years and Syria is no exception. Thanks for posting and bringing this important issue to our attention.
Earlier this month UNESCO held a major conference in Paris on cultural heritage destruction in Iraq and Syria. Headlining remarks by UNESCO director Irina Bokova emphasized that there is “no purely military solution” to the conflict and that bringing about peace will involve promoting ideological change. “To fight fanaticism, we also need to reinforce education, a defence against hatred, and protect heritage, which helps forge collective identity.”
To accomplish these ends, four ideas seem to have received prominent discussion:
1) Again emphasize the need to implement the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Properties in the Event of Armed Conflict, which has been raised by UNESCO before. The trouble is, there is pretty much zero motivation for any of the major actors on the ground in Syria to observe its stipulations.
2) Collect evidence for possible prosecution of people who intentionally destroy heritage sites as war…
View original post 1,438 more words
jonjominns's Blog 