The Classical Heritage Under Threat: Destroying and Preserving our Past

This is an open invitation to the Spring Lecture of the Birmingham and Midlands Classical Association.

 We are delighted to welcome Dr Gareth Sears, Senior Lecturer in Roman History, University of Birmingham, to deliver a talk entitled:

 ‘The Classical Heritage Under Threat: Destroying and Preserving our Past’

The destruction of classical objects and monuments in eye-catching ways has become a cause celebre in recent decades. From the obliteration of the Buddhas of Bamiyan to the detonation of buildings at Palmyra the all too frequent erasure of the past has become a staple of traditional new outlets and social media. These assaults on elements of the heritage of communities may be the most visible and shocking attacks on the Classical and other heritages in the wider Middle East but in many ways they are only the tip of an iceberg that is prompted by a range of causes and has a wide range of impacts beyond simple destruction by explosives. This talk will examine the risks to ancient monuments and other artefacts in North Africa and the Middle East and attempts to secure the past for the future.

This event is free.