Cultural heritage is the physical manifestation of a people’s history and forms an important part of their identity. Deliberate heritage destruction, which attempts to remove all traces of the past, is often used as a tool of ethnic and sectarian violence. Unfortunately, this type of damage is an ongoing part of the conflict in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere across the globe. It constitutes an established human rights violation. In addition, archaeological site looting during periods of social and political unrest causes extensive damage to ancient centers. Scientific methods and technological tools can be employed to document, investigate, and ultimately understand heritage loss in order to create more effective humanitarian and policy responses and to develop preventative measures. This exhibition highlights cutting-edge scientific methods, new technologies, and current research projects that are underway to reveal this cultural tragedy.
