Earthmoving equipment being used to loot Syria’s past
Report highlights the use of earthmoving equipment by thieves looking to plunder the historic sites of Ebla in the war-torn country of Syria.
Ebla is one of the most important sites of Syria’s history
A report in the New York Times has highlighted the use of earthmoving equipment by thieves looking to plunder the historic sites of Ebla in the war-torn country of Syria.
Ebla is one of the most important sites of archaeological evidence dating back several thousand years. It is also a stronghold for Syrian rebels in conflict with the forces belonging to beleaguered president Bashar Al-Assad.
A representative of The Arrows of the Right, told the US newspaper that his fighting group is not only defending the strategic outcrop from Assad’s forces but also from thieves looking to “for artifacts to sell on the black market”.
While the thieves are the most immediate threat to the site, Dr Abdul-Karim of the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums in Syria said that archaeologists were calling for groups on both sides of the war to respect the site.
“To the soldiers, we try by all messages from 23 million Syrians, to say: ‘Do not use the archaeology sites. It is our history, it is our heritage, it is for all people, it is for the world’,” he said. “We cannot refuse the army. The problem is that in some areas the fighting is very strong, and we can do nothing except to give the message.”
