Archaeologists Braved ISIS to Save 30,000 Artifacts in Syria

Archaeologists undertook a dangerous mission to rescue approximately 30,000 historic artifacts from the Deir ez-Zor Museum in Syria during 2014 and 2015, as the city was on the verge of falling to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The rescue effort, detailed in a new study by Maamoun Abdulkarim, a professor of archaeology and history at the University of Sharjah, highlights the challenges of preserving cultural heritage during active conflict.

Deir ez-Zor, the capital of its namesake province, was a strategically vital area due to its oil and gas fields, making it a focal point of fighting in Syria's civil war. The museum housed significant collections originating from renowned Mesopotamian sites, including Halaf, Dura-Europos, and Mari. The artifacts represented thousands of years of human history and were considered part of the collective memory and identity of the region.

Professor Abdulkarim, who oversaw the operation as the director-general of Syria’s Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) from 2012 to 2017, described the mission as exceptionally dangerous. The museum was accessible only through a narrow and vulnerable corridor connecting to the military airport. The period following 2014, marked by ISIS's expansion, saw widespread looting and destruction of cultural sites and museums across the Middle East, including the looting of Mosul's museum and the destruction of antiquities in Nineveh and Assyria.

This context compelled Syrian antiquities authorities to reassess protection policies and accelerate emergency measures for at-risk cities. Abdulkarim emphasized that successful heritage protection during wartime requires more than logistical planning; it demands decisive leadership, institutional resilience, trust among colleagues, and the ability to adapt rapidly to evolving circumstances. He noted that delaying decisions in search of certainty often poses a greater risk than acting under uncertainty.

During Abdulkarim's tenure as DGAM director-general, approximately 300,000 museum items were secured and moved to safer locations, with the 30,000 artifacts from Deir ez-Zor forming a substantial portion. He stressed that the foundational elements for effective emergency action, such as established relationships, documentation, professional capacity, and trust, must be built during periods of stability and cannot be created once a crisis has begun. He prioritized the protection of cultural heritage, accepting any personal and professional risks involved.

Before the Syrian civil war began in 2011, the country had 35 archaeological museums. While not the largest, the Deir ez-Zor Museum was among the most valuable. The study, published in the journal Museum Management and Curatorship, presents the Deir ez-Zor operation as a case study in wartime cultural heritage protection, underscoring the critical role of timely decisions and trusted collaboration in preserving human memory and identity.