30,000 Ancient Treasures Saved From ISIS In Daring Archaeological Rescue

Liberty Check

• Heritage theft and destruction by radical Islamists threatens the preservation of Western civilization’s roots.
• Swift, decisive action by patriotic leadership can still thwart the enemies of culture and history.
• Delaying hard decisions in the name of perfect certainty only hands victory to those who despise our shared past.

A new study reveals how courageous archaeologists risked their lives to rescue roughly 30,000 priceless artifacts from the Deir ez-Zor Museum just before ISIS seized the Syrian city.

The operation formed part of a larger effort that ultimately moved some 300,000 museum objects to safety across the country.

“It fundamentally involves decision-making, institutional resilience, trust and the ability to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances,” said Maamoun Abdulkarim, the former director-general of Syria’s Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums.

“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.”

The museum’s collection spanned thousands of years and included ancient statues, jewelry and cuneiform tablets unearthed at the historic city of Mari.

Despite not being one of Syria’s largest institutions, Deir ez-Zor held one of its most valuable troves, drawn from celebrated Mesopotamian sites such as Halaf and Dura-Europos.

Abdulkarim, now a professor at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, presented the rescue as a case study in protecting cultural heritage during wartime.

“In a cultural emergency, waiting for perfect conditions can become more dangerous than acting under uncertainty.”

“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.”

The rescue was especially perilous because the museum was connected to a nearby military airport by a single, highly exposed corridor.

ISIS’s rapid advance in 2014, marked by the fall of Mosul and the looting of its museum, forced Syrian authorities to accelerate their protection plans for cities facing imminent siege.

Americans deserve better.