Archeology "Turned into a Weapon"

Damage done to the Camp of Diocletian at Palmyra by
Syrian government forces during the construction
of fighting positions between 2012-2015.
(From “Palmyra: Heritage Adrift” p. 38)

Archeologist Christopher Jones has on his blog an interesting article accusing archeologists of closing their eyes to the abuses of the evil Assad regime ("Palmyra Propaganda" April 7, 2016). Greedy for excavation licenses, they wilfully obscure what does not fit the comfortable picture they wish to paint of their "partner". He points out the propaganda values of the recapture of Palmyra for the oppressive Assad government and the part played by the western journalists who photographed the destroyed ancient ruins and shattered statues in the Palmyra Museum. The story as told includes little discussion of the destruction wrought by indiscriminate aerial bombing of the town of Tadmor. There has been little attention paid to the infamous Tadmor Military Prison, into which regime opponents frequently disappeared. The press makes little mention of the damage done to the town in the shelling before it fell to ISIS. During the occupation of Palmyra by government forces from 2012-2015 the archaeological site was damaged by government forces using bulldozers to construct military positions among the ruins. Tower tombs were frequently looted. He says that in the Syrian conflict, archeology has once again been turned into a weapon, one tool of the ideological battlefield alongside many other types of weapons.