Heritage Of Afghanistan Research Articles

Conservation of Buddhist Heritage in Afghanistan, 2016–2022

This article describes activity at two Buddhist sites, Topdara (Parwan province) and Shewaki (south-east of Kabul) in Afghanistan undertaken by the Afghan Cultural Heritage Consulting Organisation (ACHCO) between 2016 and 2022. It entailed documentation, excavation, conservation and partial reconstruction of stupas and other structures associated with Buddhist monastic orders. The sites are part of a string of religious institutions situated along trade and pilgrimage routes that traversed the region, some of which have been the focus of previous surveys, archaeological excavation and analysis. The primary objective of this work was to document and conserve the surviving physical fabric of the stupas and adjacent buildings, while examining their siting and similarities in form and architectural style with other Buddhist monuments in the region. The interventions also provided an opportunity to observe the attitudes of both the Afghan work-force and members of the Afghan public towards their Buddhist heritage, for which there seems to be a degree of curiosity and respect that tends to be lacking in recent accounts of such sites being “endangered.”

A remote sensing-based survey of archaeological/heritage sites near Kandahar, Afghanistan through publicly available satellite imagery.

Due to its conflict-ridden recent history, it has been difficult to launch major archaeological projects and advanced field research in Afghanistan during the last forty years. Lately, the proliferation of remote sensing methods, especially the increasing availability of satellite imagery, has allowed generating a much-needed impetus for documentation and monitoring of the heritage in Afghanistan. In this study, we present novel site data obtained through an examination of publicly available satellite imagery in the southwestern region of Kandahar. The sites presented here consist of a multitude of cultural heritage such as settlement mounds, architectural remains, religious monuments, fortresses, and traditional water management systems. We also discuss the advantages, as well as the drawbacks of remote sensing surveys for archaeological research in Afghanistan, and share our data to be employed in further research and cultural heritage management in the region.

Remote assessments of the archaeological heritage situation in Afghanistan

Abstract Analysis of spatial and temporal patterns in looting and destruction at archaeological sites using satellite imagery has become a focus of multiple research groups working on cultural heritage in conflict zones, especially in areas controlled by the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. In this paper, we apply similar methods to investigate looting and destruction at archaeological sites in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, where Taliban-related cultural heritage destruction events have also frequently made international headlines. Using the time depth provided by high-resolution, time-stamped DigitalGlobe satellite and BuckEye aerial images as well as CORONA and other historical satellite images and maps, we quantitatively document spatial and temporal patterns in destruction from looting, agricultural activity, military occupation, urban growth, mining, and other kinds of development at over 1000 previously known archaeological sites across Afghanistan. This analysis indicates that several common narratives about cultural heritage destruction in Afghanistan may require revision. Specifically, we conclude that significant amounts of systematic looting of archaeological sites in Afghanistan already occurred before Taliban-related conflicts, that there has been little increase in systematic looting in Taliban-controlled areas post-2001, and that the most pressing threats to Afghanistan's heritage sites come from development activities, including agricultural expansion, urban growth, and future mining. The analysis demonstrates that the situation in Afghanistan both parallels and contrasts with that seen in the post-Arab-Spring Middle East.

Ideological Warfare against Cultural Property: UN Strategies and Dilemmas

With iconic cultural heritage in Afghanistan, Mali, Libya, Iraq and Syria at the mercy of Jihadi extremists, the international community’s somewhat feverish compilation of emergency measures illustrates both the sense of urgency now felt, but also how unprepared the world was to be confronted with ideological warfare against the ‘culture of the heretics.’ The laws of armed conflict, and in its wake international criminal law, provide relatively clear cut proscriptive rules against ideologically motived cultural destruction, which cannot be said of peacetime rules on cultural heritage protection. But the threat of incurring international responsibility and punishment is seen as inconsequential when the perpetrators’ driving ideology distains external laws. On UN level, the Security Council has resorted to a global trade ban to target two birds with one stone: to dry-up is’s source of income through illicit trade in Iraqi and Syrian antiquities and to preserve artefacts by making illicit excavation and pillaging economically unattractive. Unfortunately the situation on the ground, with its many uncertainties regarding domestic implementation means the effectiveness of this measure is in abeyance.

Built heritage in Afghanistan: threats, challenges and conservation

The built heritage of Afghanistan – encompassing its historic quarters, monuments and archaeological sites – manifests the country’s rich history at the crossroads of culture. While this heritage is the country’s pride and identity, the authorities lack policies and resources for the preservation of the monuments and the protection of historic sites; communities lack awareness of the monuments’ significance and need for their protection. Illicit excavations, inadequate renovations and damage to the historic fabric are taking place on many sites. This paper aims to present an historical survey of institutional engagement in the study of archaeological sites and conservation works in Afghanistan. Then it highlights issues related to conservation verses development and practical difficulties in preserving the built heritage. There are complex effects of social indigence, war and influences of the development sector, which bear on the contemporary donors’ interest in conservation projects in Afghanistan.

Images and Heritage in Afghanistan

Images and Heritage in Afghanistan