June 2011, Daily News

Ancient Site of Cyrene Receives New Attention and Conservation in War-Ravaged Libya

By Dan McLerran   Mon, Jul 18, 2011

Even as war rages in Libya, scientists and conservationists are targeting the ancient site of Cyrene near the town of Shahhat, Libya, for new life.  

Shahhat was the site of massive recent protests, and is purportedly under the control of rebel forces. The remains of the ancient Greek colony located there, one of the largest and most impressive Greek monumental centers in Libya and the Mediterranean, stand endangered by conflict, neglect, looting, improper restoration and lack of security protection -- a daunting task for archaeologists and restorers to address in an area where constant uncertainty and trepidation characterize the environment. 

Founded in 631 B.C., Cyrene began as a Greek colony of settlers from the island of Thera (Santorini today), the island best known for its ancient Minoan city of Akrotiri and the site of the cataclysmic volcanic eruption in about 1500 B.C.  It rapidly developed into a thriving commercial center and reached its height under the early Greeks in the 5th century. It later became part of the Ptolemaic empire controlled from Alexandria. In 96 B.C. it was bequeathed to Rome and then became a Roman province in 74 B.C. Cyrene was one of the great cities of the Classical world of the Mediterranean, with a rich history spanning 1,000 years. Today, it is a World Heritage Site that boasts the remains of temples, tombs, an agora, theatre, and gymnasium that were modeled after those of ancient Delphi, home of the famous ancient Greek oracle of classical history and literature.  

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General View of the Sanctuary of Apollo at Cyrene, Libya. Wikimedia Commons

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Ruins of a cylindrical sepulcher at the necropolis at Cyrene. An example of the human neglect and mistreatment. Courtesy Man. Wikimedia Commons.

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The focus of restoration and development efforts centers on the Amphitheatre, located in the ancient city's Sanctuary of Apollo area. The Amphitheatre was first constructed in the 6th Century, B.C., and historically has been a popular tourist attraction, along with the other monuments within its vicinity. The site is endangered, however, by looting, poor security protection, and past inappropriate conservation attempts that have left it vulnerable to increased deterioration. The Global Heritage Fund (GHF), based in California, along with local Libyan interests and authorities, hope to change that in the years ahead.

In partnership with the Second University of Naples (SUN) in Italy, the Libyan Department of Antiquities and the Libyan Ministry of Culture, the GHF-led efforts have drawn together experts in conservation and heritage to prepare a site management plan that will involve archaeological investigation and cleaning, restoration by anastylosis (restoration by using materials and techniques that were used anciently to create the structures), training for local Libyan staff and workers at the site, and improved visitor access and site interpretation. "There is presently a need for Classical sites in North Africa to develop good management plans," reports the GHF, "and it is hoped that this document, when completed, will provide an exemplar for the creation of management plans for heritage sites across the region." Already, preliminary surveys and photographic, graphic and photogrammetric documentation have been completed.

Currently, GHF is also working with the Italian Archaeological Mission to Cyrene (MAIC, of the Second University of Naples), to conduct emergency conservation at the site. Long-term, GHF hopes to establish ongoing in-county capabilities to manage Cyrene and to improve the site and the programs and infrastructure related to it so that greater economic benefits, such as that generated through tourism, will accrue to the local nationals and community. Says GHF:  "This project is dedicated to using heritage assets to stimulate local economies and business development. Through responsible development of its cultural resources, specifically Leptis Magna (a major Roman site) and Cyrene, Libya has the potential to become one of the most prominent destinations for Greek-based cultural tourism in the Mediterranean."

Ruins of the ancient Amphitheatre at Cyrene. Courtesy Travcoa Travel. Flickr

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Despite the best of planning, however, major archaeological sites like Cyrene and Leptis Magna face uncertainty as international politics and conflict combine to threaten the future of these cultural and historical world treasures. The military forces of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya's embattled head of state, have purportedly set up military equipment, including rocket launchers, among the ancient Roman ruins of Leptis Magna. This would suggest that the current Libyan regime is exploiting the fact that the U.S., a major player in NATO efforts to topple Gaddafi from power, ratified the U.N Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property (the Hague Convention) in 2008. The U.S. is bound by international law to avoid striking such cultural targets, even in the instance of war. Despite this, NATO officials overseeing the aerial operations over Libya have stated that they would not rule out the targeting of the pro-Gaddafi force positions within the ruins of Leptis Magna, according to a recent CNN report. Moreover, conflict has come perilously close to Cyrene, as recently a group of pro-Gaddafi mercenaries were seized by rebel forces at a school in Shahhat, not far from the ancient site.

For more information about the GHF Cyrene Project, visit the website at www.globalheritagefund.org.  

Cover Photo, Top Left: Ruins of Cyrene, Shahhat, Libya. Wikimedia Commons 

By Dan McLerran

As Founder and Editor of Popular Archaeology Magazine, Dan is a freelance writer and journalist specializing in archaeology.  He studied anthropology and archaeology in undergraduate and graduate school and has been an active participant on archaeological excavations in the U.S. and abroad.  He is the creator and administrator of Archaeological Digs, a popular weblog about archaeological excavation and field school opportunities.