New Book on Global Security and Cultural Heritage
The Preservation of Art and Culture in Times of War (Oxford University Press, 2022)
Claire Finkelstein, Derek Gillman, and Frederik Rosén
Conflict over cultural heritage has become a standard part of war. Systematic exploitation, manipulation, attacks, and destruction of cultural heritage by state and non-state actors now form part of most violent conflicts across the world. Such acts are often intentional and based on well-planned strategies for inflicting harm on groups of people and communities. With the growing awareness of the role cultural heritage plays in war, scholars and practitioners have progressed from seeing conflict-related destruction of cultural heritage as a cultural tragedy to understanding it as a vital national security issue.
The international community has also begun to shift from the desire to protect cultural property for its own sake to viewing its protection as an integral part of the advancement of peace and security. Concerns about cultural heritage have thus migrated beyond the cultural sphere to discussions relating to the protection of civilians, the financing of terrorism, societal resilience, post-conflict reconciliation, hybrid warfare, and the geopolitics of territorial conflicts.
This volume seeks to deepen public understanding of the evolving nexus between cultural heritage and security in the twenty-first century. Drawing on a variety of disciplines and perspectives, the chapters in this volume examine a complex set of relationships between the deliberate destruction and misuse of cultural heritage in times of conflict, on the one hand, and basic societal values, legal principles, and national security, on the other
Endorsements:
“In war, belligerents sometimes intentionally destroy treasured artifacts of their adversary’s culture, or plunder those artifacts to fund their own war effort. Members of a society sometimes destroy elements of their own cultural heritage as symbols of values or historical practices they repudiate. The essays in this superb collection carefully examine the full range of moral, legal, and evaluative issues raised by the meanings, value, and vulnerability of cultural artifacts – issues that have hitherto been unjustifiably neglected by those of us who have written about the morality of war.”
— Jeff M c Mahan, Sekyra and White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Oxford, author of Killing in War
“The destruction of cultural heritage amidst violence and atrocities is not new, but the postCold War era has delivered not only death and displacement but cultural wastelands as well. These essays provide invaluable insights for analysts and practitioners to understand what is happening and what can be done about it.”
— Thomas G. Weiss, Presidential Professor of Political Science, City University of New York Graduate Center
“This volume is a timely, truly indispensable contribution to its field. Thoughtful and wideranging, the essays constitute a thoughtful exploration of the high stakes of cultural heritage and preservation, now and for generations to come.”
— Julian Siggers, President and CEO, The Field Museum
“During the last two decades, the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Yemen have im - pacted every archaeologist, museum curator, and expert in cultural property. This book is the first to synthesize the legal and cultural issues with which we’ve dealt and to offer crosscutting perspectives on the challenges and dilemmas we face when seeking out the means for cultural property protection in the future.”
— C. Brian Rose, James B. Pritchard Professor of Archaeology, University of Pennsylvania
“A vital contribution to the emerging intersection of heritage, security and international law, this volume is highly relevant to the increasing level of conflict surrounding cultural heritage at home and abroad. This impressive interdisciplinary set of contributions from leading scholars tackles the difficult moral, legal and political issues and the array of actors involved, from international organizations and state authorities to non-state actors. A timely and ethical intervention.”
— Lynn Meskell, Professor of Anthropology, Penn Museum