SYRIA AND IRAQ: Death of History: Witnessing Heritage Destruction in Syria and Iraq
One of the goals of SCRI is to educate policy makers and the public on the scope of the problem of intentional destruction of cultural heritage during armed conflict. Based on research conducted by SCRI, the Penn Cultural Heritage Center of the University of Pennsylvania Museum, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in consultation with the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield, this panel exhibition highlighted tragic discoveries: mass looting, illicit trafficking of antiquities, and complete erasure of important religious monuments in both Iraq and Syria.
In October 2015, the “Death of History: Witnessing Heritage Destruction in Syria and Iraq” exhibition was displayed in the Russell Senate Office Building, accompanied by a panel discussion. Speakers included:
- Senator Bob Casey
- Senator David Perdue
- House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Edward Royce
- House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member, Eliot Engel
The speakers were followed by a panel that outlined the damage and steps to prevent further destruction. Panelists included:
- Dr. Salam al-Kuntar, Fellow, Penn Cultural Heritage Center, University of Pennsylvania Museum
- Dr. Patty Gerstenblith, Distinguished Research Professor at DePaul University College of Law and Secretary of the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield
- Dr. Richard Kurin, Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture, Smithsonian Institution
- Dr. Bonnie Magness-Gardner, Program Manager, FBI Art Crime Program
- Dr. Brian I. Daniels, Director of Research and Program, Penn Cultural Heritage Center, University of Pennsylvania Museum
For more information about the overall collaborative research project, please read Ancient History, Modern Destruction: Assessing the Current Status of Syria’s World Heritage Sites Using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery.
For more information about the exhibition, please read Death of History: Witnessing Heritage Destruction in Syria and Iraq.
If you want to learn more about our current research efforts on cultural heritage under threat from conflict, visit our Research Section.
