A two-day workshop promoting U.S.-Canadian Cooperation in Preventing Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property was held in June 2014 in Toronto, Canada, in support of an initiative of the U.S. Consulate General and the ICE Attaché’s Office and their Canadian counterparts in response to concerns about cultural objects originating from or passing through Canada and illicitly entering the United States.

About 35 U.S. and Canadian law enforcement and customs officials and museum conservators, curators, and archaeologists participated in the workshop, which was hosted by the Royal Ontario Museum. Topics included U.S. and Canadian laws and resources, handling objects and determining their authentication and provenance, a hands-on session with museum conservators and curators, and case-studies of investigations.

Conflict, violence, and internal displacements of Syrians are endangering archaeological sites, historic buildings, monuments, and collections of objects.

This map—produced by the U.S. Department of State’s Humanitarian Information Unit with data researched and supplied by the Cultural Heritage Center—identifies the locations of over 1000 well-preserved cultural heritage sites and museums. It also presents counts of those sites inside and outside the areas of conflict and displacement. The pie chart shows that, of the sites and museums identified, nearly all are at risk.

You can also download a PDF of Syria: Cultural Heritage Sites at Risk.

Related:

• Syria Cultural Heritage Initiative
• Imagery of Archeological Site Looting in Syria

Learn more about the U.S. Department of State's Cultural Heritage Center.

These satellite images document the scale of destruction that looters continue to inflict on archaeological heritage sites during the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Looting at archaeological sites destroys irreplaceable evidence of life and society in the ancient world. In the case of Syria, this evidence has helped researchers understand important historical developments such as the beginnings of agriculture and cities, the rise and fall of empires, and the development and spread of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Syria’s rich archaeological corpus includes several ancient settlements on the UNESCO World Heritage List and Tentative List and many others that help us understand the mosaic of human history. Dura Europos This unique Classical-period site, founded in the 3rd century BC and occupied until the 3rd century AD, demonstrates the diversity of the ancient Middle East. One of the world’s earliest churches was discovered here, as was one of the oldest preserved synagogues and numerous temples devoted to polytheistic deities. This important site of approximately 150 acres (60 hectares) is now covered by looters’ pits.

28 June 2012	02 April 2014
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Mari Mari was an important city in the Early and Middle Bronze Ages (ca. 3000-1600 BC). Excavations have recovered cuneiform archives as well as the remains of the famous “palace of Zimri-lim,” which was destroyed by Hammurabi of Babylon in the mid-18th century BC. Looters here have sunk several pits in the area of Zimri-lim’s palace and at other places in the city center.

07 September 2012	25 March 2014
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Tell Sheikh Hamad In the late 2nd millennium BC (beginning around 1350 BC), this site served as the regional capital of Assyria’s western provinces; in the 1st millennium BC, it was an important administrative center in the Assyrian empire. Looting here has focused on the citadel area, as well as parts of the lower town.

01 March 2011	03 March 2014
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Related:

• Syria Cultural Heritage Initiative
• Syria Heritage Sites Inventory

Learn more about the U.S. Department of State's Cultural Heritage Center.

The Cultural Heritage Center supports the Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws being developed by UNESCO. The purpose of this online database is to make the relevant national legislation and international agreements of the member countries of UNESCO easily available to law enforcement agencies, museums, galleries, collectors, and others having legal questions concerning objects that may have been stolen or looted and/or illegally exported, imported or acquired.

Over 2,200 laws, agreements, contact information, and web links of some 177 member countries have been published on the Database, which permits keyword searches in multiple languages.

Learn more about the U.S. Department of State's Cultural Heritage Center.

In March of 2007, the Cultural Heritage Center sponsored the first of four regional workshops on topics relating to the protection of cultural resources from looting and illicit trafficking. These are undertaken with the support of U.S. Embassies, as well as ministries of culture and NGOs in the host countries. In collaboration with the Organization of American States (OAS), the first workshop was convened in Mexico City, and hosted by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). About 35 professionals from the museum, legal, conservation, and cultural heritage fields from Mexico, Central America, and the Dominican Republic gathered for three days at the National Museum of Anthropology to exchange experiences and effective practices in defending cultural heritage.

In April of 2008, the second regional workshop was convened in Medellín, Colombia, focusing on case studies in heritage protection in the Andean region. About 35 professionals from the fields associated with cultural heritage from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru gathered to share their successes and challenges in protecting their own and each other’s heritage.

One of the findings of the Andean regional meeting was the need for focused training in heritage site security. In response, the Center co-sponsored a training program for 35 Colombian site managers, curators, and archivists, which was held at the University of Antioquia in Medellín in March 2009. Colombia’s Ministry of Culture, the University of Antioquia, the City of Medellin, and the Centro Colombo-Americano (Colombian-U.S. binational cultural center) also participated and provided support.

A third regional workshop in this series took place in June 2009 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for cultural heritage and law enforcement officials from Central America, Mexico, and the U.S. A fourth workshop, held in July 2009 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, brought together heritage and law enforcement officials from Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States.

Learn more about the U.S. Department of State's Cultural Heritage Center.