Heritage in Conflict

The Syrian and Iraqi civil wars, with their immense toll of human
suffering, have also fuelled an unprecedented wave of heritage
destruction. The deliberate ruin of cultural property in Syria and Iraq
by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (also referred to as IS, ISIS, ISIL
or <i>Da’esh</i>) and other belligerents – widely broadcast across
traditional and social media – has horrified heritage professionals and
the general public alike. How the heritage community reacted is now
coming under increasing scrutiny. The low impact of some projects and,
indeed, the total ineffectiveness of others has been highlighted by
various commentators. Now is the time to evaluate our responses,
reflecting on the successes and failures, in the hope of making future
efforts more effective. It is intended that this volume will contribute
to this process. This book reflects the proceedings of two workshops,
held in Marburg and Melbourne in 2017, that dealt with these matters,
and the contributions provide a range of insights into the problems (and
solutions) involved. Rather than lengthy formal papers, they offer
accounts – in many cases first-hand reports or personal reflections – on
the situation as it unfolded.