Archaeologists not digging Mideast conflicts
“Do not conform yourselves to this age” Saint Paul urges in this Sunday’s reading from the Letter to the Romans. Far from conforming to the present age, archaeologists take pride in digging for secrets of past civilizations . . .
“Do not conform yourselves to this age” Saint Paul urges in this Sunday’s reading from the Letter to the Romans. Far from conforming to the present age, archaeologists take pride in digging for secrets of past civilizations buried beneath the surface of current structures. The upheavals and conflicts sweeping the Middle East in recent years, however, have resulted in deep losses to the archaeological heritage of the region.
In 2011, after three decades of working in Syria, the archaeologist Glenn M. Schwartz was unable to return to his dig at the Bronze Age city of Umm el-Marra. The intensifying civil war had made work in the country impossible.
Like many archaeologists of the Middle East, Schwartz, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, is watching the news from the region with deep concern and, he said, a feeling of impotence. “It’s heartbreaking to see what’s happened in Syria in terms of cultural heritage and more so for the country at large,” he said.
Scholars can do little to stop the fighting and looting, but they have created blogs, websites, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts to monitor the destruction and raise awareness about it. By sharing excavation records, scholars outside the Middle East have helped their counterparts in the Arab world to compile online lists of missing or stolen objects.
In 2011, after three decades of working in Syria, the archaeologist Glenn M. Schwartz was unable to return to his dig at the Bronze Age city of Umm el-Marra. The intensifying civil war had made work in the country impossible.
Like many archaeologists of the Middle East, Schwartz, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, is watching the news from the region with deep concern and, he said, a feeling of impotence. “It’s heartbreaking to see what’s happened in Syria in terms of cultural heritage and more so for the country at large,” he said.
Scholars can do little to stop the fighting and looting, but they have created blogs, websites, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts to monitor the destruction and raise awareness about it. By sharing excavation records, scholars outside the Middle East have helped their counterparts in the Arab world to compile online lists of missing or stolen objects.
The Middle East lost many of its ancient treasures in colonial times, when priceless artifacts were carried off to European collections and museums. It is now witnessing “a new wave of loss” associated with wars and conflicts, said Tamar Teneishvili, a program specialist for culture at the Unesco regional bureau in Cairo.
Homily hint: Archaeologists are the unsung heroes who dig into our past in order to help illuminate the present. Much of what we have learned about our biblical heritage has come from the work of such researchers. Respect for our past, and its relics, is fundamental to a civilized society. Pray that such respect be universal.
Source: An article by Ursula Lindsey for the Chronicle of Higher Education