WEEKLY REPORT 37
April 20, 2015
U. S. Dept. Cooperation Agreement Number: NEA-PSHSS-14-001
BY Michael D. Danti, Cheikhmous Ali, Tate Paulette, Kathryn Franklin, Allison Cuneo, LeeAnn Barnes Gordon, and David Elitzer
DOWNLOAD: REPORT
* This report is based on research conducted by the “Safeguarding the Heritage of the Near East Initiative,” funded by the US Department of State. Monthly reports reflect reporting from a variety of sources and may contain unverified material. As such, they should be treated as preliminary and subject to change.
Executive Summary
During the reporting period, ASOR CHI noted a lull in reported heritage damage in Iraq and Syria relative to the highly elevated levels of recent weeks. As is evident in the Heritage Timeline below, world attention continues to focus on the performative, intentional destruction of the Northwest Palace at Nimrud by ISIL and the illicit antiquities pouring out of the conflict zone, as well as possible solutions to the cultural heritage crisis more generally. The recent quarterly report on heritage damage released by the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) shows a sustained magnitude of damage relative to the last DGAM reporting period, as well as consistency in the spatial patterning and sources of damage. Illegal excavation and looting remain the most frequently reported damage incidents in Syria, although it is important to note that, while frequent, these causes of damage do not manifest the same destructive impacts as the intentional destruction of heritage places, tunnel bombs, combat damage, thefts from cultural repositories, and the reuse of ancient building materials. Combat damage is conspicuously absent from the DGAM report and may be subsumed under “Damage to Built Heritage [cause unspecified]” (see below).
Key points from this report:
- The DGAM has posted its Q1 2015 heritage damage report, titled Initial Damages Assessment for Syrian Cultural Heritage During the Crisis, which details damage in 8 of 14 governorates, including 60 heritage places and approximately 117 incidents listed by damage type. A summary produced by ASOR CHI is provided here. (p. 2, Table 1)