Palmyra (Syria), 2016

Palmyra

Dates of work: 1) 8–14 April 2016, Palmyra; 2) April/May 2016, Palmyra

Team:
Archaeologists: Assist. Prof. Tomasz Waliszewski (2; Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology/ Institute of Archaeology University of Warsaw), Robert Żukowski, archaeologist and museologist (1, 2; Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences);

At the request of the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, in the spring of 2016, the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology mounted an effort to assess the damages to the archaeological objects kept in the Palmyra Museum, especially the reliefs and sculptures that had been excavated and conserved by Polish experts. Bartosz Markowski, who had restored the famous Lion of Allat in 2005, now salvaged the remains of the sculpture destroyed during the months that DAESH militants occupied the oasis. The team worked together with the remaining staff of the Palmyra Museum to collect and preserve the broken statuary and other finds from the Museum. These were all packed carefully and shipped to safety in Damascus. An assessment report was made for the Syrian authorities in preparation for future conservation work.

Text: Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 26/1

Contact

T. Waliszewski: twaliszewski(at)uw.edu.pl