In the Line of Fire: Syrian Conflict Damages

Priceless Archaeological Sites

As armed conflict wears on in Syria, archaeological sites and artifacts fall to destruction and looting.

Perched snuggly atop centuries-old archaeological ruins in a historic ancient village in northern Syria, an armed sniper watches, commanding a strategic view of the landscape below. Already pockmarked by bullet holes and damaged by shelling from nearby artillery, the ancient village, many of its residents having already fled their homes, may see more shelling from nearby artillery positions.
At another location, Syrian security forces are set up at a high vantage point inside a historic citadel overlooking a town that features famous Roman ruins. They are shooting at any targets that move below among the ruins. They are looking for anti-regime rebels. As reported in a recent publication by the Global Heritage Fund (GHF)* about recent events there: “Tanks were also deployed near the Roman ruins at the entrance to Palmyra ... Although communications with Palmyra were severed at the start of the campaign, those residents who have managed to get out spoke of daily machinegun and tank fire.” Inscribed as an important site on the World Heritage List in 1980, Palmyra was one of the most important cities in ancient Syria. Its location ensured its function as an important stop on trade routes going back to the second millennium BC. It developed as a significant Roman, Byzantine and Islamic city, and today boasts some of the best preserved archaeological ruins in the world, reflecting a mix of cultures. When discovered in the 17th century, the ancient structures inspired a new renaissance of classical architecture and have been among the most popular international tourist destinations.
Miles away, a 12th century Arab fort or citadel known as Qal’at al-Mudiq has received repeated shelling. It rests near the remains of the ancient city of Apamea, a city of the Seleucid kings in 300 B.C. Among the features of this city is the classic ancient colonnade, for which it is famous. But the colonnade, too, is in danger. Restored and re-erected by conservators in the past century, 400 columns (out of an original 1,200) are now within the cross-hairs of gunfire and artillery. Damage has already been reported there. And the Citadel above it has suffered more severe damage. According to the Local Coordination Committee in Mudiq and a recent GHF report, "the southern wall had sustained severe structural damage". Tanks have been seen at the Citadel gates, and fire inside. Bulldozers had punched a hole through the walls to create an entrance and excavated into the side of the Citadel mound. Trenching, not of the archaeological kind, has occured about the base.
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The Roman colonnade at Apamea

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These are but a few examples of what is now happening to archaeological and historical sites throughout embattled Syria, highlighted in a recently released GHF report by Emma Cunliffe, a 2010 Global Heritage Preservation Fellow and current PhD researcher at Durham University. In that report, entitled Damage to the Soul: Syria’s Cultural Heritage in Conflict, Cunliffe relates information received about a number of sites throughout the country that have recently suffered, in many cases, irreparable damage:

The reported damage to the sites takes multiple forms: as well as direct shelling damage from the conflict, some sites are simply suffering collateral damage. Other sites are hit by gunfire, or are damaged by the movements of tanks or bulldozers entrenching positions. In addition to the direct damage, the breakdown in security has led to increased looting, of which numerous reports are beginning to circulate. Some looting is opportunistic: the conflict has left sites unguarded, providing easy access, but other reports suggest some thefts are planned.

Cunliffe states that shelling damage is reported to have occurred at three World Heritage Sites, at least one Tentative World Heritage Site, and several national heritage sites, including the site of Tell Sheikh Hamad (Dur Katlimmu), where an ancient Assyrian temple actually collapsed under shell fire, “transformed into a battlefield between deserters and army”.
Cunliffe's list of sites where destruction in some form has occurred include the following:

The Archaeological Villages of Northern Syria, in particular al-Bara, Deir Sunbel, and Aïn Larose.
Bosra
Crac des Chevaliers
Apamea and the citadel of Qal’at al-Mudiq and surrounding town.
Tell Sheikh Hamad (Dur Katlimmu)
Mosque of Idlib Sermin
Mosque of al-Tekkiyeh Ariha
Al-Qusaayr – Great Mosque and Mar Elias monastery
Mosque al-Herak in the Dara’a region
Oldest mosque in the city of Sermin
Our Lady of Seydnaya Monastery; and
Tomb of the Sheikh Dahur al-Muhammad in Rityan, in Aleppo province.

But the reports are not going unnoticed by a world community, including the Syrian citizens.
"Cultural heritage experts and organisations are now beginning to take stock of the damage", says Cunliffe. "Concerned citizens within the country, expatriates and heritage organisations are monitoring the damage as best they can and sending as much information as possible to the outside world".
But damage control and action is an elusive commodity in a region where escalating conflict makes it nearly impossible to protect monuments and artifacts from the ravages of war. For now, watching on the sidelines and taking note seems to be the order of the day.

 http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/june-2012/article/in-the-line-of-fire-syrian-conflict-damages-priceless-archaeological-sites