The ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiative: Planning for Safeguarding Heritage Sites in Syria and northern Iraq

Summary

Cultural Heritage Initiative—Planning for Safeguarding Heritage Sites in Syria and Iraq (CHI) is headed by The American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) and is funded by a cooperative agreement from the US Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. 

Active conflict in Syria and northern Iraq is contributing to the damage and destruction of cultural heritage. This research project aims to 1) raise awareness in Syria and Iraq and among the international community about current threats to the heritage of this region through ongoing monitoring and evaluation; 2) assist in mitigating adverse impacts; and 3) identify and plan heritage preservation projects and assistance that can be carried out in Iraq or Syria now and post-conflict. The project developed comprehensive documentation for the current condition and future preservation needs of cultural heritage in these two areas and will generate practices that are relevant for conflict zones in neighboring regions. This paper will present the goals and accomplishments of the project, including assessing the impact of the conflict on cultural heritage, working with local stakeholder to monitor and mitigate threats to sites, creating a digital map and inventory of heritage resources, and developing proposals for future preservation projects.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage