With the world facing war, climate change, pandemics, and civil unrest, it’s natural to question the importance of preserving culture. Why should we care about archaeology, monuments, traditions, art, and architecture when survival itself is threatened? The answer lies in the essential role that cultural heritage plays in shaping human identity, fostering resilience, and aiding recovery.

While saving lives is always the priority during times of upheaval, protecting cultural heritage-both tangible (like monuments and artifacts) and intangible (such as traditions, languages, and rituals)-remains crucial. Culture is not just a relic of the past; it is a living memory and the glue that binds communities together. In moments of crisis, culture provides communities with a sense of belonging and continuity, helping individuals maintain dignity and identity even as their surroundings are threatened or changed.

The deliberate targeting of cultural heritage, as seen in Ukraine, demonstrates how attacks on culture are attacks on community identity itself. Russian forces have been accused of intentionally destroying culturally significant sites, including museums and historic buildings, in an effort to erase Ukrainian history and memory. As Anastasiia Cherednychenko, chair of ICOM-Ukraine, notes, these actions are meant to undermine the historical ties of Ukrainians to their land. Scholars like Ian Kuijt, Pavlo Shydlovskyi, and William Donaruma argue that the Russian invasion is, at its core, an attempt to erase Ukraine’s history, culture, and heritage “Make no mistake: at its core, the Russian full-scale invasion is a military attempt to erase Ukraine’s history, culture, and heritage”. They emphasize that Ukraine’s churches, museums, and libraries are seen as threats precisely because they embody Ukrainian identity and resistance. The targeted destruction of culture in Ukraine highlights the critical need to protect heritage and identity, especially in turbulent times.

The Chernihiv Regional Youth Center destroyed by a Russian Federation airstrike in 2022. Loza80, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

When cultural heritage is lost-whether to war, disaster, or looting-it is not just the affected community that suffers. The world loses unique expressions of creativity, history, and knowledge. The destruction of archaeological sites, for example, prevents educators, students, and researchers from piecing together accurate accounts of the past. Looting removes artifacts from their original context, erasing vital information about ancient societies. At Early Bronze Age (ca. 3600–2000 BCE ) sites along the Dead Sea Plain in Jordan, archaeological site destruction has left us with scattered human remains and missing grave goods, making it impossible to answer key questions about ancient burial practices. Are the dead buried together related, how many grave goods are they buried with, are burials one deposition or a series of burials year after year?

Ancient ancestors are scattered on the surfaces of the sites in an effort to reach the prized possessions, the ceramic vessels; in Jordan the looters do not take the humans, just the pots. Humans become comingled and any investigation of discrete burial groups is compromised. We will never know if a particular individual was buried with a certain pot or macehead. As a result of looting and demand for the grave goods, we cannot fully reconstruct the mortuary record of these Early Bronze Age sites in Jordan. There are so many unanswered questions as a result of looting, underscoring the need to care for culture.

In a recent paper, Patty Gerstenblith and I argue that caring for culture is not only vital for maintaining history but is integral to national and international security. Protecting and preserving a nation’s culture can strengthen diplomatic relations and promote peaceful cooperation. Various studies provide clear evidence that profits from looted artifacts have been used to fund terrorism, as seen during the 2003 Iraq War and conflicts involving the Islamic State. There is growing consensus that safeguarding cultural heritage is not just about preservation, but also about preventing its exploitation for funding crime and conflict, and promoting stability and cooperation. Protecting sites and artifacts is essential in reducing security threats, safeguarding national interests, and care of culture.

This special issue of Advances in Archaeological Practice explores the importance of caring for culture, while honoring the influential work of Neil J. Brodie and Patty Gerstenblith-two pioneers in cultural heritage preservation. Any serious discussion about archaeology, endangered heritage, or the antiquities trade must acknowledge their foundational contributions. Through decades of scholarship and collaboration, Brodie and Gerstenblith have shaped our understanding of heritage stewardship. The articles in this collection examine the drivers of the illegal antiquities trade, from laundering artifacts to the motivations behind collecting. Case studies from around the world illustrate the consequences of demand and the resulting cultural loss. Experts in archaeology, law, and heritage protection assess current legal frameworks, highlight legislative gaps, and propose new strategies for safeguarding heritage.

Even when the world seems to be on fire, caring for culture is not a distraction from urgent problems – it is part of the solution. Heritage sustains identity, supports recovery, fosters innovation, promotes security, and connects us across time and space. To care it is to invest in the resilience, dignity, and future of humanity itself.

‘The Moral Maze: A Duty of Care in the Twenty-First Century‘ by Morag M. Kersel is out now in the special issue of Advances in Archaeological Practice – ‘Caring for Culture in the Twenty-First Century‘.