Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Jan Turek, Centre for Theoretical Study, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, turekjan@hotmail.com
Chemi Shiff, Tel Aviv University, Israel, chemishiff@gmail.com
Ikram Madani Ahmed, University Khartoum, Faculty of Science, Sudan; nstitute of Archaeology CAS, Prague, Czech Republic, ikramahmed3@yahoo.com
Roman Liubun, Masaryk University in Brno, Department of Archaeology and Museology, Czech Republic, Ukraine, liubunroman@gmail.com
This session will examine how international laws concerning the safeguarding of cultural heritage during armed conflict are being used to protect or abuse human rights and cultural rights in the context of wars throughout the world.
Throughout history, cultural heritage sites have been destroyed due to armed conflict. Most recently it is possible to mention the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Israeli invasion of Gaza, Southern Lebanon and Syria, and the wars in Armenia, Sudan, and Yemen. Over the years, several conventions—namely the two protocols of the Hague convention for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict (1954/1999—formulated strategies that would ensure that cultural heritage sites will not be damaged and that their cultural, religious, or symbolic importance to local populations will be safeguarded, even when a cultural heritage site is in occupied territory.
As may be attested through the examination of case studies in conflicts such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the targeting of cultural heritage sites is often used to justify the displacement of local or indigenous populations and to construct false historical traditions. The destruction of cultural heritage sites not only decimates important components of a people’s heritage, but also violates their cultural rights. Heritage institutions are often looted/destroyed and scholars forced to exile.
In this session we invite participants to discuss case studies in which international conventions concerning cultural heritage are being violated. Through the discussion of these case studies, we hope to better understand the long-lasting impact the destruction of cultural heritage sites has on the vitality and well-being of a given people united by a common heritage and how it may be possible to formulate strategies to fight against these violations of international law.
Papers:
War and Cultural Memory: Shifting Perceptions of Cultural Heritage in Ukraine
Liubov Hodovanska, Dept of Economics and Finance, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Roman Liubun, Dept of Archaeology and Museology, Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, Ukraine
For many years, Russia’s policies have influenced historical data and the formation of identity, displacing the Ukrainian historical context. The full-scale invasion served as a trigger for the growing public interest in history and cultural roots. This interest has played a crucial role in strengthening national identity, civic engagement, and social cohesion under conditions of existential threat. The study focuses on analysing changes in public interest toward cultural heritage based on search query analysis. The methodology involves collecting and processing data from Google Trends and SEMrush, analysing search query volumes, their spatial distribution across Ukrainian regions, and identifying correlations between the intensity of hostilities, damage to cultural heritage sites, and public attention to the topic. Descriptive analysis, data clustering, and multivariate statistical analysis aimed at identifying key trends and inflection points in public interest allow for the evaluation of whether the rising popularity of nationwide historical topics fosters deeper engagement with cultural heritage. Additionally, the study seeks to determine the factors influencing the activation of public attention toward this issue.
The Kakhovka Catastrophe and Its Impact on the Archaeological Heritage of the Lower Dnipro River
Roman Liubun, Dept of Archaeology and Museology, Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, Ukraine
Oleh Tuboltsev, Khortytsia National Reserve; Head, New Archaeological School, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
The destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station in 2023 triggered a large-scale environmental disaster, the consequences of which significantly affected not only the natural environment but also the cultural heritage of the region. This study focuses on analysing the disaster’s impact on archaeological sites in the lower Dnipro River, particularly submerged and eroded areas containing crucial evidence of historical periods from prehistory to the present. The research aims to identify, document, and assess the extent of damage to archaeological sites within the disaster and conflict zone. The study employs remote sensing methods, including satellite imagery analysis, GIS-based spatial analysis, and field survey data to present findings from the affected area.
International Law and the Weaponisation of Cultural Heritage: The Case Study of Battir, The Occupied Palestinian Territories
Chemi Shiff, Emek Shaveh, Israel
This paper will examine the discourse concerning the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of Battir, located in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). I will demonstrate how cultural heritage in areas under military occupation is weaponised, thus leading to the violation of the cultural rights of local communities, such as the Palestinians living in Battir. Battir has a rich cultural heritage spanning from the Middle Bronze age to modernity. It is located near a spring which allowed the development of a unique irrigation system that is still being used today. It is also identified as the location of Beitar, in which an important battle between the Roman empire and Jewish rebels was staged in 133 CE. In recent years this unique cultural heritage was transformed into a source of contention between Israelis and Palestinians over the future control of the land. In 2013 the Palestinian residents of Battir led an effort to stop plans to construct the separation wall between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) on the lands of Battir by inscribing it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Since 2019 settlers have made recurring attempts to establish new outposts on the lands of Battir, due to the site’s alleged identification with ancient Beitar, in which an important battle between the Roman empire and Jewish rebels was staged in 133 CE. These examples will demonstrate how Battir’s cultural heritage is being incorporated into a broader attempt made by Jewish settlers and their supporters in the Israeli government to annex the OPT, thus leading to the disconnection of Palestinians from their heritage and land.
Humankind, Symbolic Warfare and Future Armed Conflicts
Jan Turek, Centre for Theoretical Study, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
Aggression became part of human culture over the last 40,000 years and has been institutionalised in various forms of social activities. In the time of Neolithic European agricultural populations, the motive of control over farming land became highly important. Violence was employed within the community in order to obtain and maintain individual or collective social status, but also against other communities in an effort to protect property and territory. During the Neolithic period a new phenomenon arose in human culture: ceremonial/symbolic warfare. With nuclear weapons systems, humanity seems to have entered an era of modern symbolic weaponry. One of the anthropocentric traits of weapons is their prestigious and symbolic function. A comparison can be made: “Do you have a sword? Then you are a powerful warrior, and your status is materialised by your weapon.” – “Do you possess a nuclear weapon? Then you belong to the ranks of superpowers.” From this perspective, nuclear weapons are primarily a symbol of power and deterrence against adversaries, without the need for them to be actually (suicidally) used. Principally, this is somewhat akin to ancient rituals of digging up and burying the war axe, as well as the fearsome ceremonial dances with the war club.
The State of Archaeological Fieldwork in Northern Nigeria Amidst Banditry and Terrorism (2014–2024): Challenges, Adaptations, and Futures
Abubakar Abdulkareem, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
Abdullahi Ahmad Musa, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
Mustakim Habibu Sulaiman, Nigeria
Abdulqadir Muhammad Abubakar, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
This presentation examines the challenges impeding archaeological fieldwork in northern Nigeria over the past decade (2014–2024), with a focus on the repercussions of escalating insecurity—including terrorism and banditry—since 2014. Through desk-based research, interviews, and case study analysis, the study underscores how persistent violence has reshaped archaeological practices, restricting large-scale projects and redirecting scholarly focus toward preservation-centric studies in museums and safeguarded heritage sites. While acknowledging modest progress in conservation efforts, the research highlights a troubling reliance on superficial methodologies, such as surface collections by students in accessible zones, which sideline critical investigations into trade networks, migration, subsistence strategies, Indigenous technologies, and human-environment dynamics. The analysis argues that this shift risks producing fragmented narratives of the region’s ancient past. To address these limitations, the study advocates for the integration of advanced geospatial technologies (e.g., remote sensing, GIS, and machine learning) to enable non-invasive data collection and predictive modelling. Concurrently, it emphasises the urgency of proactive conflict resolution, sustained community collaboration, and equitable economic policies to ensure researcher safety and foster meaningful engagement with cultural heritage. By bridging methodological innovation and socio-political action, this work charts a path toward revitalising archaeological inquiry in northern Nigeria amid ongoing crises.
The Impact of the War in Sudan on the Museum of Natural History and its Effects on the Situation of Researchers: Current Situation and Visions for Future Solutions
Ikram Madani Ahmed Mohammed, Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague; University Khartoum, Faculty of Science, Sudan
Jan Turek, Centre for Theoretical Study, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
On April 15, 2023, fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the RSF in the capital, Khartoum. In last two years, the war has severely damaged infrastructure and displaced more than 15 million people. A number of archaeologists have documented violations at sites in Khartoum and the northern states, including theft, illegal construction, farming on heritage sites, and defacement of archaeological tombs. In addition to several other sites, the Sudan Museum of Natural History has become a battleground between the army and RSF. In this study, the destruction of the museum building and its valuable contents was assessed using map data from recent satellite imagery. The study also discussed the cessation of scientific research not only in the Natural Museum, but in all war-affected states, and explained how some researchers managed to continue scientific research with the help of some international institutions. Plans for future reconstruction and rehabilitation of the collection identified available materials deposited in other international museums for donation or temporary study. The study suggested the Berlin Museum and the Bavarian Museum in Germany, the British Museum, the French National Museum of Natural History, and the Czech Institute of Archaeology, and outlined previous collaborations and agreements.
The Repercussions of War on Sudanese Antiquities
Yahia Fadl Tahir Fadl, University of Khartoum, Sudan; Visiting Professor, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
Sudan is home to a wealth of archaeological and cultural heritage, spanning prehistoric settlements, ancient Kushite buildings and pyramids, as well as Christian and Islamic period monuments. However, ongoing conflict has placed this rich heritage under severe threat. This paper discusses the repercussions of war on Sudanese antiquities, highlighting the destruction of museums, such as the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), and historical buildings like the Republican Palace in Khartoum. Additionally, it explores the impact of landmines and military encampments at archaeological sites, including Naqaa and Musawwarat es-Sufra, the looting and illicit trade of artefacts, particularly those taken from the Sudan National Museum, and the disruption of preservation, conservation, and research efforts. Furthermore, the displacement of large populations has negatively impacted heritage sites, with people climbing on pyramids, leading to the collapse of stone blocks. The war has also created an atmosphere of corruption, where powerful individuals claim ownership of archaeological land to serve their own interests. This paper explores the responses of national and international organisations in heritage protection, as well as the role of local communities in safeguarding their cultural legacy. By analysing case studies and historical precedents, this study provides insights into the broader implications.
Who Owns the Past Under Threatened Sovereignty? A History of Taiwanese Archaeology Under Chinese Colonisation
Chung-Pin Hsieh, Dept of Anthropology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
This paper examines Taiwanese archaeology as an independent yet vulnerable intellectual tradition historically colonised by Chinese Nationalism discourse under Taiwan’s authoritarian KMT (Chinese Nationalist Party) regime (1945–1992), and currently threatened by China’s geopolitical ambitions. In the late 1960s, archaeological practice was systematically mobilised through the state-sponsored Chinese Nationalism campaign, using archaeological heritage to impose Sinocentric narratives, marginalise indigenous and local Taiwanese identities, and pre-script Taiwan’s political future. Despite democratization, the legacy of this internal colonisation continues to constrain Taiwan’s archaeological autonomy. Facing ongoing threats of Chinese military aggression, archaeological heritage remains an ideological battleground. This paper offers a postcolonial and postprocessual critique of Taiwanese archaeology, advocating a critical approach that resists Chinese hegemonic narratives, restores historical agency and imagination to archaeological practice, and safeguards Taiwan’s dynamic cultural heritage in both the present and the future.
Crime of the Russian Occupiers – Lost Materials of the Mariupol Neolithic Burial Site
Nataliia Mykhailova, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
In 2022, hundreds of thousands of Russian troops launched a brutal and senseless invasion of peaceful Ukraine. Among the many archaeological sites lost was the Neolithic Cemetery of Mariupol – one of the most important burial complexes in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, unique in its richness and variety of finds. Its materials contained a vast amount of information about the spiritual world, social structure, gender relations and burial rites of the Neolithic population of Eastern Europe. The extraordinary richness of the burial equipment, the number of status burials, including children’s burials, and the abundance of original jewellery, unknown at other sites, could be the subject of study for many generations of scholars.
In April 2022, during the fierce battles for Mariupol, the Local History Museum was shelled by the Russian occupation forces. The wooden floors of the building were burnt. A unique collection that could have been studied by future generations of scholars from around the world was destroyed by the Russian occupiers. The stolen artefacts were presented at the multimedia exhibition “Russian Azov”, opened with the support of the Russian Historical Society in the “Russia is My History” pavilion in Moscow. The return to Ukraine of archaeological artefacts which have been the property of the occupying forces is a matter of urgency.