Preservation of Cultural Sites and Artifacts During Wartimes

ABSTRACT

This article is an overview of some of the foreign policies implemented regarding cultural heritage protection during wartimes, with specific focus on the Gulf Wars in Iraq and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This article follows historical examples prior and post-World War II, noting pertinent international laws such as the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The author also highlights current technological advances that are being implemented to help survey and better understand the destruction of cultural sites. This article argues for an increased focus on cultural heritage protection and preemptive measures that should be put in place by cultural institutions to protect their heritage. Information professionals are stewards of cultural heritage and part of their mission should be disaster-preparedness to best preserve artifacts and heritage sites.

KEYWORDS:

• Cultural heritage
• cultural sites
• wartime
• looting
• conservation

Acknowledgements

This paper was originally written for Dr. Irene Lopatovska’s INFO-601: Foundations of Information Fall 2023 course at Pratt Institute School of Information in New York City. The author thanks Dr. Lopatovska for her support of this paper and guidance in class.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Patty Gerstenblith, “From Bamiyan to Baghdad: Warfare and the Preservation of Cultural Heritage at the Beginning of the 21st Century,” Georgetown Journal of International Law 37, no. 2 (December 22, 2006): 245–351.

2. Ibid.

3. Article 27, Convention (IV) Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land and its Annex: Regulations Concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land, The Hague, USCBS, (accessed October 18, 1907).

4. “Nicholas Roerich Museum New York,” Roerich Pact and Banner Of Peace, https://www.roerich.org/roerich-pact.php#:~:text=The%20Roerich%20Pact%20was%20first,of%20the%20Pan%2DAmerican%20Union (accessed November 27, 2023).

5. Georges Chklaver, “Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments (Roerich Pact). Washington, April 15, 1935,” IHL, https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/roerich-pact-1935?activeTab=undefined (accessed November 27, 2023).

6. Ibid. Article III.

7. “Nicholas Roerich Museum New York,” Roerich Pact and Banner Of Peace, https://www.roerich.org/roerich-pact.php#:~:text=The%20Roerich%20Pact%20was%20first,of%20the%20Pan%2DAmerican%20Union (accessed November 27, 2023).

8. Wikipedia Commons, “This Image of Simple Geometry is Ineligible for Copyright and therefore in the Public Domain, because it Consists Entirely of Information that is Common Property and Contains No Original Authorship.”

9. “Background,” US Committee of the Blue Shield, https://uscbs.org/background/ (accessed February 23, 2023).

10. Joes Segal, Art and Politics: Between Purity and Propaganda (Amsterdam: AUP, 2016).

11. Telford Taylor, “Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg, November 14, 1945–October 1, 1946,” Avalon Project – Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/imt10.asp (accessed November 27, 2023).

12. The General Conference of UNESCO, “Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The Hague, May 14, 1954,” IHL, https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/hague-conv-1954?activeTab=undefined (accessed November 27, 2023).

13. The Cultural Emblem is a Protective Symbol used During Armed Conflicts and its Use is Restricted by Law. (theblueshield.org).

14. “Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event Of …,” UNESCO, https://www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/convention-protection-cultural-property-event-armed-conflict-regulations-execution-convention (accessed November 27, 2023).

15. Corine Wegener, “News – the 1954 Hague Convention and Preserving Cultural Heritage,” Archaeological Institute of America, https://www.archaeological.org/the-1954-hague-convention-and-preserving-cultural-heritage/#:~:text=On%20March%2013%2C%202009%2C%20the,of%20Armed%20Conflict%20with%20UNESCO (accessed October 19, 2010).

16. Anthony Tucker-Jones, Introduction, in The Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm 1990–1991 (Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military, 2014).

17. Gerstenblith, “From Bamiyan to Baghdad,” 245–351.

18. Ibid.

19. Ibid.

20. Ibid.

21. Ibid.

22. “Uruk III Period, circa 3000 B.C.,” AN IMPORTANT MESOPOTAMIAN PROTO-CUNEIFORM CLAY ADMINISTRATIVE TABLET, https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4585441 (accessed November 27, 2023).

23. Gerstenblith, “From Bamiyan to Baghdad,” 245–351.

24. Ibid.

25. Ibid.

26. Ibid.

27. Ibid.

28. Ibid.

29. Jocelyn Prasad, “Iraq Museum Looting: 15 Years On,” The University of Sydney, https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2018/04/10/iraq-museum-looting–15-years-on.html (accessed November 27, 2023).

30. Gerstenblith, “From Bamiyan to Baghdad,” 245–351.

31. “Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event Of …,” UNESCO, https://www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/convention-protection-cultural-property-event-armed-conflict-regulations-execution-convention (accessed November 27, 2023).

32. “Rule 38. Attacks Against Cultural Property,” IHL, https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule38#:~:text=imperative%20military%20necessity-,Rule%2038.,unless%20they%20are%20military%20objectives (accessed November 27, 2023).

33. “Potential Damage to Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Sites,” Conflict Observatory Publication Portal Redirection, https://hub.conflictobservatory.org/portal/apps/sites/#/home/pages/heritage-1 (accessed November 27, 2023).

34. Ibid.

35. Lonnie G. Bunch, “Safeguarding the Cultural and Historical Heritage of Ukraine,” (Smithsonian Institution, 1970), https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/safeguarding-cultural-and-historical-heritage-ukraine/.

36. Ibid.

37. “Homepage,” Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, https://culturalrescue.si.edu/?utm_source=si.edu&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=oneSmithsonian (accessed May 6, 2022).

38. Ibid.