The upcoming PCMA seminar will feature dr Lindsay Der (The University of British Columbia) with a presentation: „Safeguarding for whom? An evidence-based examination of the use of digital technology as a conservation tool for Tadmor (Palmyra)”. The talk is part of the “Heritage Month series”.
Abstract: “In an era of technological proliferation, digital technologies are being deployed in heritage contexts at an unsurpassed pace. These technologies have been largely embraced by universities, museums, governments, and both intergovernmental and non-profit organizations. In places of armed conflict, their use has been especially heralded for their ability to be rapidly deployed and to mitigate the destruction of cultural heritage. Rather than take digital technologies as a foregone conclusion, my research is an evidentiary-based assessment of their implementation in cultural heritage applications.
This seminar shares the results of research evaluating the 3D reproduction of the Triumphal Arch of Tadmor, also known as Palmyra. A foreign intervention, this reproduction was purported to preserve and draw attention to Syrian cultural heritage after its destruction at the hands of DAESH. Using interview and survey data, this paper discusses the reactions, desires and opinions of different groups, including Syrian diaspora communities in Canada and the general public in the United Kingdom. The data suggests that far from being a resounding success, reception has been mixed, with the majority of people considering the replica arch an inadequate substitute for the original.”
The seminar will be held on Thursday, 9th October at 7 pm (Warsaw time) on the Zoom platform.
To receive the link, please email: seminarium.pcma@uw.edu.pl
Dr. Lindsay Der is an Honorary Research Associate at The University of British Columbia. She holds a B.A. from The University of British Columbia and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. Her research interests include cultural heritage, human-animal relationships, ritual and symbolism, archaeology and ethics, and public archaeology. Dr. Der is the Principal Investigator of the Negative Heritage Project and her current research examines the use of disruptive technologies as a preservation tool for archaeological sites destroyed by armed conflict. She is co-editor of The Archaeology of Entanglement (Routledge, 2015) and was a guest on the BBC podcast/BBC Radio 4 show “ou’re Dead to Me. Dr. Der is also a member of the Editorial Board of “Near Eastern Archaeology”. She has conducted fieldwork in Turkey, Belize, and Sicily.
Recording of the seminar is available on our YouTube Channel: PCMA Seminar – Heritage Month: Safeguarding for whom? (Lindsay Der)