Publications
Palmyra Revisited from Space – High-Resolution Satellite Prospection of a UNESCO World Heritage Site
High-resolution satellite prospection, leveraging Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) from the TerraSAR-X mission, has revolutionized archaeological research at UNESCO World Heritage Site Palmyra. This integrated approach combines ground-based geophysical methods like magnetometry and resistivity with space-borne techniques such as optical satellite imagery and radar to provide both detailed and broad-scale insights into the ancient city's layout and buried structures. While ground-based methods confirmed the existence of a Hellenistic town south of Wadi el Kubur, mapping its intricate layout, space-borne surveys revealed upstanding remains and uncovered new buried archaeological features, significantly advancing our understanding of Palmyra's cultural landscape.
Palmyra, the Mediterranean and Beyond
Palmyra emerges as a pivotal crossroads between the Mediterranean and Eastern trade routes, showcasing its strategic significance during antiquity. This study reveals Palmyra's dynamic interplay with the Roman Empire, highlighting how it leveraged its unique position to assert influence despite being on the empire's fringes. The research examines Palmyrene society's multifaceted roles—ranging from traders and contractors to political and military leaders—and their ability to navigate and capitalize on the complexities of a rapidly evolving world. By integrating archaeological and historical evidence, the study underscores Palmyra's dual identity: deeply rooted in its local context while simultaneously engaging with broader global networks.
Geomatics and metaverse for lost heritage sites documentation and dissemination: the case study of Palmyra Roman Theatre (Syria)
A groundbreaking approach combining geomatics and metaverse technologies has successfully reconstructed the lost Palmyra Roman Theatre, Syria, using spherical photogrammetry to digitally preserve its pre-destruction state. The study optimized 3D models for virtual reality (VR) applications through polygon decimation and texturing, creating an immersive, online-accessible virtual environment that enables shared exploration of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. User response experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of these digital tools in conveying historical significance, offering a scalable model for disseminating lost heritage. This method provides a powerful solution to safeguard and educate about sites threatened by conflict or destruction.
Interactive 360° media for the dissemination of endangered world heritage sites: the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria
An interactive online platform utilizing 360° media has been developed to document and disseminate information about the endangered UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra, Syria. This innovative approach allows users to explore both archival and current data on damaged historical monuments, providing a reality-based digital environment akin to Google Street View. The platform facilitates public engagement, supports decision-making for policy planners, and serves as an educational tool, potentially influencing post-conflict restoration efforts. By revealing the layered histories of monuments before and after demolition, it offers a unique resource for research and preservation strategies, with applications extendable to other heritage sites in conflict zones.
Russia in Palmyra: Contextualizing the Kremlin’s Postconflict Heritage Rehabilitation Efforts
Russian-led reconstruction efforts at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra, Syria, serve as a tool for cultural diplomacy and political legitimization. While these efforts are often perceived primarily as propaganda aimed at foreign audiences, they also reflect Russia's domestic political goals, particularly under President Putin. The Kremlin uses heritage rehabilitation to promote its narrative of reasserting global power in a multipolar world order. This study, combining ethnographic and historical research on world heritage politics, highlights the dual nature of these efforts—both international propaganda and a means to bolster Russia’s geopolitical standing.
The Future of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra after Its Destruction
The Temple of Bel in Palmyra, a significant historical and architectural landmark, faced severe damage from ISIS in 2015. Despite its partial destruction, the cella remains a priority for conservation efforts, not only to preserve Palmyra's World Heritage status but also to safeguard Syria's broader cultural legacy. The study revisits the temple's history, including conservation measures during the French Mandate (1920–1946), such as community relocation and repairs, and examines post-destruction assessments by specialists. This underscores the urgent need for targeted preservation strategies to protect Palmyra’s irreplaceable heritage.
The Oxford Handbook of Palmyra
The Oxford Handbook of Palmyra offers a comprehensive, expert-led exploration of one of the ancient world's most significant oasis cities, from its pre-Roman origins to modern times. This 37-chapter volume synthesizes firsthand knowledge from archaeologists, historians, and philologists, covering Palmyra's development, archaeology, and historical networks across antiquity. Structured thematically with introductory and postludium chapters, it provides an accessible yet rigorous overview, updated bibliographies, and insights into the site's devastating recent destruction during Syria's conflict. A vital resource for researchers, it bridges deep historical analysis with contemporary relevance.
Exchange and Reuse in Roman Palmyra
A century of excavations and recent digital advancements have revealed that Palmyra's economy thrived through strategic material reuse, routine exchanges, and institutional frameworks. This study highlights how the city managed resources sustainably, using materials like coins, glass, metal, and textiles in circular ways, rather than wastefully. It introduces new methodologies to estimate Palmyra’s population size and reassesses its economic institutions, offering fresh insights into post-Roman building activities across Egypt. The research leverages unprecedented access to artifacts—inscriptions, statues, tesserae—to unravel the complexities of Palmyrene consumption and trade.
Knowing Palmyra: Mandatory production of archaeological knowledge
Archaeological knowledge production at Palmyra during the French Mandate was far more complex and inclusive of local inhabitants than previously recognized. Through an analysis of Harald Ingholt's archaeological diaries from 1924 to 1928, this study reveals that European archaeologists' narratives often overlooked the contributions of local people, particularly in reshaping the site during a period of significant transformation. The research challenges authorized discourses by reconstructing the site's history before its relocation from mudbrick houses near the Temple of Bel to a new military-built town, highlighting the nuanced interplay between scientific discovery and local knowledge.
Methodology and Meaning of the 3D Modelling of the Lost Baalshamin Temple in Palmyra
A groundbreaking 3D reconstruction of Palmyra's destroyed Baalshamin Temple, lost to ISIL in 2015, has been achieved through the 'Collart-Palmyre Project' at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). This digital initiative leverages Paul Collart's 1950s excavation archives, now accessible via an open-access online database. The project integrates 3D models with archival metadata using PoTree, enabling geolocation and diachronic visualization of the temple's evolution from the 2nd century BC to the 9th century AD. Beyond reconstruction, this work addresses ethical concerns around digital heritage migration, advocating for responsible stewardship under the London Charter and Sevilla principles. The project also engages with Syrian refugees, aligning with the Faro Convention's spirit by providing displaced communities access to their cultural memories.
Preserving Endangered Cultural Heritage Through 3D Scanning. The Case of the Banqueting Tokens from Palmyra, Syria
A groundbreaking dataset of 3D scans and models of Palmyra's banqueting tesserae, used as entrance tokens for religious banquets by ancient Palmyrene priests, has been released. Over 1300 distinct types of these clay tokens are known today, with five examples from the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen now available in 3D format for the first time. This innovation enables the preservation and study of an endangered cultural heritage, allowing researchers to analyze and share these historically significant artifacts digitally, despite their global dispersion across public and private collections.
Decadal stability of coral reef benthic communities on Palmyra Atoll, central Pacific, through two bleaching events
Coral reef benthic communities on Palmyra Atoll demonstrate remarkable resilience to thermal stress. Despite two severe bleaching events linked to El Niño (2009–2010 and 2015–2016), the atoll's reefs maintained long-term stability over a decade. While hard coral cover declined temporarily post-bleaching—particularly on wave-exposed fore reefs—it recovered within two years, with algal groups replacing corals variably across sites. The study, using annual photoquadrat analysis from 80 permanent plots, highlights the atoll's capacity to withstand disturbances in the absence of local stressors, offering insights into the adaptability of calcifier-dominated reef ecosystems.
Our Pain, their Heritage Project: From the Palmyra Moment to Violence and the City
Cultural heritage sites, such as Palmyra, have been weaponized and destroyed during conflicts, often leading to global attention but failing to engage with local communities. This study reveals that such projects frequently overlook the inhabitants of these sites and treat them as isolated monuments rather than living urban entities. It highlights how Palmyra has been exploited as a stage for foreign powers' performances while neglecting the broader context of slow and fast violence in cities. The research approach involves analyzing the trajectory from the 'Palmyra Moment'—a cinematic image of destruction—to an understanding of ongoing urban violence, questioning how these sites are used and abused globally.
Palmyra: Bridging Past and Future
The destruction of Palmyra’s cultural heritage by ISIS militants, particularly its major monuments in 2015, has sparked global debates on heritage loss amid conflict. This study highlights the urgent need to (re)consider the role of local communities in heritage preservation and their rights to heritage, arguing that their exclusion exacerbates the discontinuity between Palmyra’s past and future. The research examines selective narratives and official instrumentalization in Palmyra’s history while analyzing current heritage debates through the lens of ongoing conflict. It advocates for a more inclusive approach to heritage conservation, emphasizing community engagement as a bridge between past and future.
The Paradox of Palmyra: An Ancient anomalopolis in the Desert
Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and ancient city in the Syrian Desert, defies conventional urban geography by thriving 150-200 km from major agricultural areas. Research reveals that its prosperity was sustained through a complex interplay of climate change, geopolitical shifts, and interactions between nomadic and settled communities. The study leverages palaeoclimatological evidence, urban development patterns, epigraphic inscriptions, and settlement size analysis to unravel the paradox of this 'anomalopolis.' Notably, the research sheds light on how Palmyra's strategic positioning and adaptive responses to environmental and socio-political changes enabled its longevity from late centuries BC to the late first millennium AD. This insight challenges traditional narratives about desert urbanization and offers a nuanced understanding of ancient civilizations in arid regions.
The Site of the Archive: Responsibility and Rhetoric in Archival Archaeology of the Middle East
Archival archaeology is transforming our understanding of ancient sites, including Palmyra, by revealing the potential of legacy data to reassess historical interpretations. This volume pioneers a shift away from traditional archaeological methods, emphasizing the integration of archival materials to explore excavation historiographies and cultural heritage preservation. It highlights how archives can reshape perceptions of the past while addressing current challenges in restitution initiatives. The research advocates for best practices in utilizing such data, offering new avenues for future studies that bridge ancient history with contemporary heritage management.
Transforming Palmyra Atoll to native-tree dominance will increase net carbon storage and reduce dissolved organic carbon reef runoff
Transforming Palmyra Atoll's rainforest from coconut palm dominance to native species could significantly increase terrestrial carbon storage by 11.6% while reducing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) runoff, benefiting coral reefs and mitigating climate change impacts. The study used field sampling, remote sensing, and literature-based parameter estimates to model carbon dynamics before and after transformation. It predicted a decrease in aboveground biomass but a substantial increase in soil carbon, particularly with the expansion of native Pisonia grandis and Heliotropium foertherianum forests. Additionally, nearshore DOC concentrations were found to be lower near native forests compared to coconut palm-dominated areas, suggesting potential benefits for coral health.
Cultural Heritage Images of Palmyra (CHIoP) Dataset
The Cultural Heritage Images of Palmyra (CHIoP) dataset introduces a curated collection of 432 images representing four key cultural heritage regions in Palmyra, Syria: Baalshamin, Palmyra Theater, Temple of Bel, and Tetrapylon. This dataset, compiled through text-based scraping from Flickr with subsequent manual filtering, serves as a valuable resource for researchers in computer vision, enabling the testing of advanced image classification and object detection techniques such as machine learning, deep learning, or transfer learning. The structured categorization ensures high relevance to specific heritage sites, making it an essential tool for developing and validating AI models aimed at preserving cultural heritage through digital means.
Historical Trajectories of Palmyra’s Elites through the Lens of Archaeological Data
Archaeological data from Palmyra, Syria, reveals the dynamic trajectories of its elites through history. The Palmyra Portrait Project, analyzing nearly 4,000 portraits and over 300 tombs, combined with evidence of trade and building activity, sheds light on the rise and fall of this ancient oasis city's ruling class. The study identifies key historical events—such as wars or plagues—that correlated with shifts in elite behaviors, offering a nuanced understanding of Palmyra’s socio-political landscape. This approach bridges archaeological records with historical narratives, providing insights into the resilience and adaptability of Palmyra’s elites amid adversity.
The Archaeological Site of Palmyra Before and After the War in Syria
Palmyra, an ancient Syrian city with a unique blend of Eastern, Roman, Byzantine, and Arab heritage, suffered catastrophic damage during Syria's ongoing conflict due to deliberate actions by religious terrorist-extremist groups. The study highlights the unprecedented loss of world cultural heritage in modern history, emphasizing that preservation and restoration are achievable through coordinated efforts involving Syrian authorities, international organizations, and global communities. It underscores the need for a sustained, collaborative approach to assess damage, restore heritage sites, and prevent further destruction and looting.
The Ruins of Palmyra
A groundbreaking 18th-century monograph, The Ruins of Palmyra, offers the earliest systematic documentation of archaeological sites through detailed engravings and measurements. This work by Robert Wood et al. pioneered a dual approach—combining site views with architectural plans—to study ancient cities like Palmyra and Baalbek. Its innovative methodology set a precedent for later antiquarian studies and significantly influenced Neoclassical architecture globally. A new edition revisits this seminal text, featuring all original engravings and a scholarly introduction by Benjamin Anderson.
A Continuous Record of Central Tropical Pacific Climate Since the Midnineteenth Century Reconstructed From Fanning and Palmyra Island Corals: A Case Study in Coral Data Reanalysis
A continuous, monthly resolved climate record spanning the past 160 years for the central tropical Pacific (CTP) reveals a strong trend toward warmer and wetter conditions in late twentieth century, aligning with climate model hindcasts. This reconstruction, derived from coral oxygen isotope records (δ18O) from Fanning and Palmyra Islands using the RegEM method to impute missing data, highlights four exceptionally strong El Niño events (1877–1878, 1940–1941, 1997–1998, 2015–2016). The study demonstrates how shorter coral segments can be concatenated to build extended time series, providing insights into precursor warm events that may influence the development of strong El Niño phenomena.
Aesthetic Elisions: The Ruins of Palmyra and the “Good Life” of Liberal Multiculturalism
The destruction of Palmyra by ISIS revealed a paradoxical attachment to its ruins, symbolizing an idealized 'good life' of liberal multiculturalism characterized by trade and tolerance. This study argues that such representations, while aesthetically appealing, often elide power imbalances and economic inequalities, particularly in neighboring Tadmor. By applying Lefebvre's theory of space production and affect theory, the research exposes the political stakes of romanticizing Palmyra as a multicultural haven at the expense of acknowledging its entanglement with systemic inequities. The findings challenge the ethical implications of linking desires for coexistence to such idealized sites, while also contributing to broader discussions on the global circulation of affect tied to spaces.
At Palmyra Atoll , the fish‐community environmental DNA signal changes across habitats but not with tides
Research at Palmyra Atoll reveals that environmental DNA (eDNA) signals from fish communities vary distinctly between reef and sand-flat habitats, with habitat-specific species contributing more eDNA to their respective environments. Despite tidal fluctuations, the eDNA signal on sand flats remained stable, correlating with fish biomass density and capturing nearly all expected species diversity. The study demonstrates that as few as 25 samples can achieve over 97.5% coverage in this diverse tropical marine system, highlighting eDNA's potential for comprehensive biodiversity assessment. This approach offers a robust method for monitoring habitat-specific fish communities without tidal disruption.
Governing the souls and community: why do Islamists destroy world heritage sites?
Islamist groups' destruction of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Bamiyan, Timbuktu, and Palmyra, is not merely symbolic but part of a broader political strategy to govern territory and reshape communities. This study reveals that these acts serve a dual purpose: they signal defiance to the international community while simultaneously reinforcing control over cultural heritage economies. By analyzing Ansar Dine's destruction in Timbuktu (2012) and Islamic State's attacks in Syria and Iraq, the research demonstrates how such actions align with a political project aimed at establishing a new social order. The findings underscore the need for international justice scholarship and policy to seriously engage with perpetrators' justifications, not to condone their crimes but to develop more effective strategies for protecting or rebuilding heritage during conflicts.
Palmyra: From War and Destruction to Rehabilitation
Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its Roman-era architecture and historical significance as a crossroads between East and West, suffered severe damage during ISIS occupation (2015–2016), including the destruction of temples, tombs, statues, and cultural landmarks. This study proposes an international-standardized framework for rehabilitation, integrating short-, medium-, and long-term plans for repairs, protection, restoration, and sustainable preservation. Aligned with UNESCO, ICOMOS, and ICCROM guidelines, it offers a coherent action plan to mitigate the impact of conflict while ensuring the site's cultural integrity and future viability.
The Problem with Printing Palmyra: Exploring the Ethics of Using 3D Printing Technology to Reconstruct Heritage
A critical analysis reveals that the 3D-printed reconstruction of Palmyra’s Arch of Triumph falls short of ethical standards for heritage preservation, raising concerns about digital reconstructions. The study identifies four key failures: neglecting human loss and political context, inaccuracies in material and scale, limited public access due to patent restrictions, and a reckless approach that disregards the needs of affected communities. While UNESCO and ICOMOS lack formal guidelines for such reconstructions, this research underscores the urgent need for ethical frameworks to govern digital heritage restoration, ensuring accountability and respect for historical integrity.
The securitisation of cultural heritage
International efforts to protect cultural heritage have evolved from politicization and criminalization to securitization, particularly in conflict zones like Syria and Iraq. This shift is evident in responses to attacks on archaeological sites such as Palmyra. The study employs a discursive lens to map the narrative threads constructed by key international actors, revealing how cultural heritage has become increasingly framed through security discourse. By analyzing recent incidents, it offers a tentative explanation for this securitization process, highlighting its implications for under-researched fields like heritage protection.
Rebuilding Palmyra virtually: recreation of its former glory in digital space
Digital reconstruction techniques have successfully revived the lost grandeur of Palmyra, Syria which was extensively destroyed by conflict and vandalism. This study presents 3D models of key structures such as the Temple of Bel, Temple of Baalshamin, Grand Colonnaded Street, and the theatre, offering 'ghost images' that accurately depict their former glory during the Greco-Roman period. By leveraging digital tools, researchers have preserved Palmyra's cultural heritage in virtual space, countering its physical erasure and reviving its historical significance in collective memory.
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