MEMS Colloquium Lecture: ISIS and Cultural Cleansing
Saving the Ancient and Medieval Treasures of Syria and Iraq
Tuesday, March 7, 2017 · 4 - 5:30 PM
Michael D. Danti, Assistant Professor of Archaeology, Boston University; Consulting Scholar, University of Pennsylvania Museum; and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
"Syria and Iraq are facing the worst cultural heritage crisis since the Second World War. Michael Danti's talk will address one of the greatest challenges: the cultural cleansing perpetrated by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) and the work of the American Schools of Oriental Research to safeguard cultural assets.
The American Schools of Oriental Research Cultural Heritage Initiatives (ASOR CHI) work with Syrians and Iraqis to safeguard cultural sites and objects from neglect, damage, destruction, and theft as part of a program developed with the U.S. Department of State. Among the many atrocities perpetrated by ISIS is the deliberate destructions of historic mosques, churches, schools, monasteries, and cemeteries, as well as numerous famous monuments at archaeological sites such as Palmyra, Nimrud, Nineveh, Hatra, and the Old City of Mosul.
ISIS brazenly commits these war crimes to advance its radical ideology and gain global media exposure. At the same time, the organization funds its terrorist activities through the looting of cultural property from archaeological sites, museums, libraries, and private collections. Irreplaceable ancient and medieval heritage, embedded in the urban fabric and daily life of modern communities, is endangered as extremists erase cultural memory, manipulate cultural identity, and eliminate cultural diversity."
Sponsored by the Medieval and Early Modern Studies Program, the Dresher Center for the Humanities, the Ancient Studies Department, the Visual Arts Department, and the Political Science Department.