Khaled al-Asaad profile: the Howard Carter of Palmyra

[rug]

The historian beheaded by Isis was a key figure in Syrian archaeology and has been compared with the discoverer of Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt

Caroline Davies and Kareem Shaheen in Beirut
Wednesday 19 August 2015 10.17 EDT

Khaled al-Asaad, the Syrian scholar murdered by Isis, was one of the most important pioneers in Syrian archaeology in the 20th century and a man who devoted his life to promoting and protecting his home town of Palmyra.

“He was a fixture, you can’t write about Palmyra’s history or anything to do with Palmyrian work without mentioning Khaled Asaad,” said Amr al-Azm, a former Syrian antiquities official who ran the country’s science and conservation labs and knew Asaad personally.

“It’s like you can’t talk about Egyptology without talking about Howard Carter.”

Asaad was involved in early excavations of Palmyra and the restoration of parts of the ancient city. The 82-year-old played a role in evacuating the contents of the city museum ahead of Isis taking control, which, Azm said, meant he faced certain arrest when the militants arrived.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/19/khaled-al-asaad-profile-syria-isis-howard-carter-palmyra-archaeology


Beheaded Syrian scholar refused to lead Isis to hidden Palmyra antiquities

Khaled al-Asaad, 82, was interrogated by militants for a month before he was murdered in the ancient city

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/18/isis-beheads-archaeologist-syria

[msanthrope]

1. that brave man held out under torture for a month to save history. n/t

[spanone]

2. if ever there was a hero.... Khaled al-Asaad

K&R...

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. ISIS needs to be eliminated. But who is going to do it?

[killbotfactory]

4. So long as they stick to attacking Assad and Shiites in Iraq...

The major powers in the region won't do much of anything.