Heritage in peril

Many are calling the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's (ISIS) destruction of some of mankind's most important ancient monuments in what is widely regarded as the "cradle of civilization" to be the worst cultural heritage emergency since World War Two. The destruction of the Greco-Roman city of Palmyra is just one of dozens of culturally significant sites to be devastated by ISIS either through directed culture-killing tactics or demolitions to clear strategic routes. Some cultural preservationists, including those at UNESCO and the Institute of Digital Archaeology based in Oxford, are using technology like 3D printing and digital mapping cameras to preserve a highly detailed record of what was there when protecting sites on the ground proves too dangerous. This roundtable discussion delves into the departure from traditional heritage preservation and the technical, ethical, and diplomatic challenges that come with rethinking world heritage preservation.
Speakers:
Maximilian Sternberg
Director of Studies Pembroke College and Lecturer, Fellow of Pembroke College, University of Cambridge; PhD History of Architecture (2001)
Marie Louise Sørensen
Professor of Archaeology, University of Cambridge
Tala Jarjour
Faculty, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, Concurrent Assistant Professor Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame
Alex Bremner
Senior Lecturer in Architectural History, The University of Edinburgh; PhD History of Art (2001)