Brian I. Daniels, Director of Research and Programs, Penn Cultural Heritage Center

All around the world, cultural heritage sites seem to be at great risk from conflict or other disasters. Due to recent cultural destruction in the Middle East and North Africa, there is perhaps more attention than ever before about the phenomenon of cultural loss. Recent examples are notorious. The Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001. The Al-Askari Shrine in 2006. The libraries of Timbuktu in 2012. The Umayyad Mosque of Aleppo in 2013. The ruins of Nimrud in 2014. The ancient city of Palmyra in 2015. But not all losses are conflict-related. Fire destroyed the acclaimed National Museum of Brazil in 2018. How do we protect stuff from hazards? What can be done to ensure that cultural heritage is protected for the future? The Penn Museum is at the forefront of safeguarding cultural heritage in these situations, and Dr. Daniels will discuss its role and preservation successes.