Nato target: Leptis Magna

[dengland]

I just saw an article that asserted the Libyan government is storing munitions at the Roman site Leptis Magna. NATO is considering air strikes. I've just sent an email to the NATO PAO informing them of a potential archaeological disaster. If anyone has contacts at NATO I would suggest they get with them before it is too late.

[Medicus matt]

Rebel forces have claimed that Gadaffi 'could' be hiding GRAD rockets at Leptis and NATO have refused to rule the site out as a target IF it transpires that he is doing so. That's not the same as them actually considering air strikes.

They wouldn't be hard to spot, there's not a lot of covered places at Leptis. I suppose he could be hiding them in the museum, or the horrible little cafe next to it. Apart from that, I think you'd struggle to get a GRAD launching BM21 under cover anywhere else.

[Vindex]

Even if he just parks the GRADs at Leptis without any attempt at hiding them someone will want to flatten the lot. Air targetting bods of my acquaintance are not known for their aesthetic values in certain instances! What a disaster it would be...

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

In principle the military operation NATO is running is something which should be overseen by the UN, including the archaological heritage which might be in danger.

M.VIB.M.

[Justin I]

What a shame. I hope the rebels in the Nafusa Mountains keep up the attack and advance toward Tripoli... maybe they can force Gadhafi's forces around Leptis Magna to withdraw without a fight back to the capital.

[Caballo]

Chaps,

We're just beginning to stray towards politics (see Forum rules) away from the preservation of Leptis Magna.....

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Sometimes, when world heritage is in grave danger due to world events and actions started by humans in stead of for instance a natural disaster, we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that politics come into the equasion. Politics have a profound effect on archaeological heritage. Whether it is your plain archaeological excavation being looted or a war breaking out.




M.VIB.M.

[Jona Lendering]

Although I like Lepcis Magna, and although I recognize that storing weapons over there is a violation of the international conventions on the protection of mankind's shared heritage, I prefer it to hiding weapons in - say - schools or hospitals (as Hezbollah did in Lebanon).

A second point: the importance of Lepcis is exaggerated. It is impressive, true; it is also close to Tripoli, so it is easy to bring tourists. Yet, there are similar sites: Ephesus, Apamea, Palmyra, Aphrodisias, Sagallasus, Hierapolis.

Libya's main archaeological monument is the limes Tripolitanus, which is unique in the world. The emperor changed an entire ecological system to build forts and protect Tripolitana.

All this being said, I am glad Douglas wrote to the NATO, although I am afraid that it will be ignored. Archaeologists gave sufficient advance warning about Iraq, and look what happened there.

[M. Demetrius]

M.VIB.M. and others,

While it is certainly true that politics affect us all, this forum is intended to be an island of refuge from political discussions. Regardless of whether you think the moderator staff or some government agency or military alliance is hypocritical, this is simply not the place for these discussions.

After some consideration by the moderator staff, we are asking you to voluntarily leave off the political commentary, and edit your post to come back in line with the rules of the forum. Otherwise, we will be obliged to edit it for you.

Thank You,
Moderator Staff

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Edited and removed the strong wording. If not ok let me know.

Jona, though the Limes Tripolitanis might be more important, the Romans did not change an entire ecosystem. The Saharan desert was not nearly as far up in that period as you might think, and the area above for instance Bu Ngem had been in cultivation already since the Punic rule as well as the Garamantian held outposts and territories in that area. ("The African Emperor") Of course the limes is important, but the emporium of Lepcis, not only because Septimius Severus was born there, still is under research, especially the pre Roman period. It is therefore a very important site since it shows us a mixture of Punic, Greek and Roman architecture. Especially the inscriptions in Fenician/Punic and the artefacts found are of major importance to many scholars all over the world. It is therefore not! the same as Ephesus, nor any other site.

To state these archaeological sites are the virtually same is even worse, since that statement would exclude the notion of any and all information we still can gather from these places as well as level the overall importance of any site.

All sites are unique in several respects, not only because they were occupied by various peoples throughout the ages, but also because their history is unique.

I am also happy that Doug wrote to NATO, but unless Universities and scholars worldwide start warning the UN and requesting a change of policy towards the protection of world-Heritage in case of war not much will change, and situations like the looting of artefacts which happened in Egypt as well as other countries will continue to occur unpunished.

M.VIB.M.