The archaeology of Syria (Figure1) is well known for its richness and complexity. There are six World Heritage sites, with a further ten on UNESCO's Tentative list, spanning more than 5000 years of human achievement. Here religion and history intertwine: the Old City of Damascus contains the house where Saul is thought to have stayed after converting to Christianity and some of the mosques date back to the time of Mohammed. Many are still in use today, part of a living heritage tradition. However, the current conflict has not spared this cultural heritage, and it may be years before the full extent of the damage is known, if ever.
There is little verifiable information: most comes from YouTube videos via a Facebook group, Le patrimoine archéologique syrien en danger (PASD; http://www.facebook.com/Archeologie.syrienne).
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