Birkbeck begins new heritage cooperation with Syria’s Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums

Birkbeck’s Carena Institute of Sustainable Archaeologies has begun a formal cooperation with Syria’s Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) to support the protection, documentation and management of the country’s cultural heritage.

The initial work will focus on Dura-Europos, an important archaeological site on the Euphrates in eastern Syria, and objects from the site held at the National Museum in Damascus.

Jen Baird, Professor of Archaeology and Director of the Carena Institute, is leading Birkbeck’s work in Syria. An authority on Dura-Europos, Professor Baird is working with Institute members Dr Hiba Alkhalaf and Adnan Almohamad, alongside colleagues at the DGAM.

The cooperation will include work to document and support the protection and management of Dura-Europos, as well as activities relating to the care, documentation and interpretation of archaeological objects from the site held in the National Museum in Damascus.

It will also provide opportunities for professional exchange and knowledge-sharing between Syrian heritage professionals and colleagues at Birkbeck, with the aim of supporting approaches to heritage management that are locally informed, inclusive and sustainable.

Professor Baird said: “It’s such a pleasure to be working closely with Syrian colleagues on projects in the museum and at the site. I’m proud that the Carena Institute can support the development of approaches that will inform more inclusive and sustainable heritage practices in Syria, in the wake of many years of conflict.”

The cooperation builds on the Carena Institute’s wider work to develop sustainable approaches to archaeology and heritage management. The Institute works with partners to support long-term capacity, professional collaboration and locally informed approaches to protecting and managing cultural heritage.