Endangered and Damaged Heritage Sites in Syria: Some Considerations and Future Perspectives

The problem of protecting cultural heritage in war areas is increasingly demanding attention. The case of damages occurred to Syrian antiquities is notorious and leads to propose some considerations from an archaeological and scientific perspective. The first step is to figure out the real entity of injured sites and the current state of destruction, so as to plan any further action. The case studies of the sites of Dura Europos, Apamea, Palmyra and Bostra, all of which were highly damaged, are presented. The second fundamental step must be the collection of detailed information on the present day situation and on the extent of damages and pillaging. This will allow for setting up both short term and longterm interventions. The main objective is that of giving back life to damaged monuments and archaeological sites that are significant not only for Syria itself, but for the whole international community. However, the “restoration” of Cultural Heritage Property can be carried out in various ways, that must be selected carefully according to the single specific situations.