Archaeologists risked their lives to save 30,000 treasures from ISIS terrorists during the Syrian Civil War, new study shows

Archaeologists can be just as passionate about their finds as scientists are about their inventions. After all, they each live for their passion for objects of time. Now, a new study has revealed how archaeologists risked their lives to save thousands of historic treasures from imminent destruction by Islamic State terrorists.Syrian archaeologists rescued around 30,000 "priceless" artefacts from the Deir ez-Zor Museum as the city faced imminent capture by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh, in 2014 and 2015. Situated on the banks of the Euphrates River near Iraq's border, Deir ez-Zor is the capital of the province of the same name. The region contains some of Syria's most important oil and gas fields, turning it into a fiercely contested battleground during Syria's 15-year civil war.According to study author Maamoun Abdulkarim, the significance of the heroic rescue effort extends beyond the number of artefacts saved. In the paper published in the journal Museum Management and Curatorship, the professor of Archaeology and History at the Emirati University of Sharjah examines the operation as a case study in protecting cultural heritage during wartime.The professor said it was particularly significant given the damage inflicted on museums and archaeological sites by ISIS across the Middle East including in Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Yemen. The study emphasised that conducting a rescue mission during active hostilities requires more than logistical planning. “It fundamentally involves decision-making, institutional resilience, trust, and the ability to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances,” said Prof. Abdulkarim.“There is rarely a perfect moment to act during an armed conflict; often, delaying a decision in search of greater certainty poses a greater danger than acting under uncertainty.”At the time of the rescue, the professor oversaw the operation as the head of Syria's Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums. At the time, Deir ez-Zor was severely restricted, with the museum connected to the military airport only through a narrow and highly vulnerable corridor, rendering the mission “exceptionally dangerous”.Protecting endangered heritageThere are no official estimates of the number of archaeologically significant sites in Syria, but the country's antiquities department is said to have a file of about 10,000 sites. Present-day Syria forms part of the broader Mesopotamian cultural sphere, where some of the world’s earliest and most influential civilisations flourished. Before the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, Syria was home to 35 archaeological museums spread across the country. Although not the largest among them, the Deir ez-Zor Museum ranked among the country’s most valuable institutions, with its priceless collections from renowned Mesopotamian sites, including Halaf, Dura-Europos and Mari.The professor did not provide a precise estimate of the number of artefacts that were looted during the civil war, which lasted nearly a decade and a half and also did not specify how many of the country's 35 museums escaped destruction or managed to preserve their collections intact. However, he does note that the period following 2014, when ISIS expanded its control over large parts of Syria and Iraq, represented "an important example of the sort of looting, destruction, and illicit trafficking of sites and museums that took place in this context."“This period formed a critical juncture, as it coincided with the fall of Mosul in Iraq, the looting of that museum, and the destruction of antiquities from Nineveh and Assyria," he wrote. “These occurrences compelled Syrian antiquities authorities to promptly reevaluate protection policies and expedite emergency measures in cities that were at risk of siege or collapse.”In these circumstances, he came to understand that leadership was not about making easy decisions but about the courage to make necessary decisions at the right moment, even when the personal and professional consequences could be severe. "My foremost priority was the protection of cultural heritage, and I was prepared to bear whatever personal and professional risks and consequences those decisions might entail," he explained.During his tenure as DGAM's director-general from 2012 to 2017, approximately 300,000 museum artefacts were rescued and relocated to secure sites across Syria. "The artefacts accounted for the overwhelming majority of the country's museum collections," he said. "This included approximately 30,000 objects from the Deir ez-Zor Museum."Advice for future rescue missionsIn his research, the professor delivered an important message to professionals engaged in protecting archaeological heritage during wars and crises. For him, artefacts are far more than priceless objects. They embody the collective memory and identity of humanity, transcending the borders of the countries in which they are found."We did not rescue 30,000 objects simply to save 30,000 museum pieces. We were protecting thousands of years of memory that war threatened to erase," he said. "The 30,000 objects rescued from Deir ez-Zor represent more than just museum pieces; they hold thousands of years of human history and are part of the identity and memory of the communities in the Euphrates region."Reflecting on the operation to remove endangered collections from one of Syria's most significant museums and relocate them to safety, he emphasised that timing is often the decisive factor in any rescue mission. Waiting for every uncertainty to be resolved, he warns, can mean missing the critical window for action. "In a cultural emergency, waiting for perfect conditions can become more dangerous than acting under uncertainty," he said. "Heritage protection during war is not only about what we save. It is also about when we decide to act, whom we trust, and how quickly we are prepared to adapt."He also highlighted several other factors that are essential for safeguarding heritage in times of crisis, including competent personnel, effective institutions, meticulous inventories and documentation, and trusted colleagues on the ground. "The most valuable resource during a crisis is not always money or technology," he noted. "Sometimes it is trust, the trust between colleagues who can make the right decision when there is no time left for normal procedures.""The relationships, documentation, professional capacity, and trust required for effective emergency action must be established during periods of stability," the professor concluded. "They should not wait until a crisis erupts before taking action. These foundations cannot be built overnight."