ISIL and the Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq and Syria
Taught by Antonia Santangelo
Antonia M. Santangelo teaches Anthropology and Archaeology courses at Lehman College. She is a Doctoral Candidate in Anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center. Her research involves ichthyo-archaeology, Black Sea studies, food, identity and sustainability. In addition to her academic interests, Antonia enjoys Zumba, AntiGravity yoga, Krav Maga, dancing and creating art.
This class will present a lecture on archaeology, memory and cultural resource management with particular emphasis on Iraq and Syria. We'll examine the political and social significance of archaeological sites in these two countries and offer an analysis of the destruction of cultural heritage that has been conducted by the extremist militant group ISIL.
Students will interrogate the politics of historic preservation, and the complex set of motivations and decisions related to the identification, preservation, exhibition, and interpretation of heritage and culture in the Middle East and elsewhere.