Michael D. Danti is a Near Eastern archaeologist and an expert in cultural heritage preservation and protection. He currently serves as the Director of the Iraq Heritage Stabilization (IHSP) Program of Penn NELC, which is funded by multiple cooperative agreements awarded by the U.S. Department of State and major grants from the ALIPH Foundation. IHSP is implementing cultural heritage preservation and protection projects in northern Iraq. Danti previously acted as the Academic Director of the American Schools of Oriental Research Cultural Heritage Initiatives—documenting cultural heritage destruction during conflict in Syria, northern Iraq, and Libya and implementing emergency restoration projects—and he is a Consulting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Museum. He is the Director of the Mashki Gate Excavations at Nineveh and the Penn Nimrud Program, which involves restoration and archaeological excavation.. Michael received his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000. He has over 35 years experience as an author, educator, museum professional, and director of archaeological projects in Syria, Iraq, and Iran, focusing on the Bronze and early Iron Ages. In 2011 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and he has testified before the US Congress on the importance of cultural heritage preservation during times of conflict.
Fig. 2 Palmyra is located in present-da/ Syria. century ВС, the city slipped into the Parthian sp... more Fig. 2 Palmyra is located in present-da/ Syria. century ВС, the city slipped into the Parthian sphere of influence. The Parthians, an Iranian tribe of horsemen from east of the Caspian Sea, maintained a "hands off" political policy towards their western border along the Euphra-tes. They ...
... After painstaking review of the field records from Hasanlu for the period 1956-62, Michael Da... more ... After painstaking review of the field records from Hasanlu for the period 1956-62, Michael Danti has been able to integrate and interpret the scattered excavation data to produce this important volume document-ing the little-excavated Ilkhanid period of the late 13th to early 14th ...
This report provides a brief introduction to the site of Nimrud and summarizes the current state ... more This report provides a brief introduction to the site of Nimrud and summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the destruction of the Northwest Palace by ISIL following a video released on April 11, 2015. The report contains aerial images of the site taken from February 26, 2015 (which shows no recent damage) to April 17, 2015 after the events of barrel bomb detonations by ISIL displaying the destruction of the site.
Fig. 2 Palmyra is located in present-da/ Syria. century ВС, the city slipped into the Parthian sp... more Fig. 2 Palmyra is located in present-da/ Syria. century ВС, the city slipped into the Parthian sphere of influence. The Parthians, an Iranian tribe of horsemen from east of the Caspian Sea, maintained a "hands off" political policy towards their western border along the Euphra-tes. They ...
... After painstaking review of the field records from Hasanlu for the period 1956-62, Michael Da... more ... After painstaking review of the field records from Hasanlu for the period 1956-62, Michael Danti has been able to integrate and interpret the scattered excavation data to produce this important volume document-ing the little-excavated Ilkhanid period of the late 13th to early 14th ...
This report provides a brief introduction to the site of Nimrud and summarizes the current state ... more This report provides a brief introduction to the site of Nimrud and summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the destruction of the Northwest Palace by ISIL following a video released on April 11, 2015. The report contains aerial images of the site taken from February 26, 2015 (which shows no recent damage) to April 17, 2015 after the events of barrel bomb detonations by ISIL displaying the destruction of the site.
The American Society of Overseas Research Cultural Heritage Initiatives conducted a conflict-peri... more The American Society of Overseas Research Cultural Heritage Initiatives conducted a conflict-period program to preserve and protect cultural heritage in Syria, Iraq, and Libya from 2014-2018 during one of the most destructive periods for cultural assets in recent memory. The program, funded by the U. Department of State and other sources, combined in-country and remote monitoring, reporting, and fact-finding (MRF) with emergency stabilization and restoration projects. Many of the program’s staff are now engaged in post-conflict recovery efforts in these same regions, and this continuity is providing useful insights on the effectiveness of the conflict-period efforts. This chapter provides a post-program assessment of the successes, shortcomings, and lessons learned in relation to current trends in the field and emerging challenges.
ISIS is looting, destroying and illicitly trafficking antiquities out of Iraq and Syria. Rachel M... more ISIS is looting, destroying and illicitly trafficking antiquities out of Iraq and Syria. Rachel Martin talks with Michael Danti, a professor of archaeology at Boston University
Initial reports on the archaeological excavations at Hasanlu Tepe in northwestern Iran indicated ... more Initial reports on the archaeological excavations at Hasanlu Tepe in northwestern Iran indicated that this early Iron Age center exhibited a highly “Assyrianizing” material culture, and consequently close contacts with the Neo-Assyrian Empire. These conclusions were based primarily on the very few select and elite artifact categories and contexts that have thus far been published in detail. This paper presents the results of a recent, site-wide assessment of the Assyrian presence at Hasanlu up to and including the time of the settlement's violent destruction around 800 BC. It is increasingly clear that the nature and local impact of contacts with Assyria are more complex and difficult to interpret than previously envisioned. This paper presents the ways that Assyrian imports were recontextualized within the local cultural tradition, and thus imbued with new meanings, and the difficulty of disentangling local imitations of "Assyrian" material culture from the larger Near Eastern stream of visual and material traditions.
Initial reports on the archaeological excavations at Hasanlu Tepe in northwestern Iran indicated ... more Initial reports on the archaeological excavations at Hasanlu Tepe in northwestern Iran indicated that this early Iron Age center exhibited a highly “Assyrianizing” material culture, and consequently close contacts with the Neo-Assyrian Empire. These conclusions were based primarily on the very few select and elite artifact categories and contexts that have thus far been published in detail. This paper presents the results of a recent, site-wide assessment of the Assyrian presence at Hasanlu up to and including the time of the settlement's violent destruction around 800 BC. It is increasingly clear that the nature and local impact of contacts with Assyria are more complex and difficult to interpret than previously envisioned. This paper presents the ways that Assyrian imports were recontextualized within the local cultural tradition, and thus imbued with new meanings, and the difficulty of disentangling local imitations of "Assyrian" material culture from the larger Near Eastern stream of visual and material traditions.
Hasanlu Tepe, the largest archaeological site in the Qadar River valley of northwestern Iran, was... more Hasanlu Tepe, the largest archaeological site in the Qadar River valley of northwestern Iran, was excavated by the Hasanlu Project from 1956 to 1977 under the general direction of Robert H.
Dyson, Jr. The western valley is known as Ushnu and the eastern, where Hasanlu is located just south of Lake Urmia, as Solduz (Figure 1). The project was sponsored by the University of
Pennsylvania Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Iranian Antiquities Service. Research conducted at Hasanlu and neighboring sites laid the groundwork for the archaeological
chronology of northwestern Iran, particularly the early Iron Age, thanks in part to the incredibly rich and well preserved destruction level of Hasanlu IVb of the late 9th century BC. The vibrant cultural tradition attested in the destruction level originates in the mid 2nd millennium BC, and scholarly debate continues to focus on the cultural processes that produced and brutally ended it.
This seriation shows a selection of objects from graves of the Middle Bronze, Late Bronze, Iron I... more This seriation shows a selection of objects from graves of the Middle Bronze, Late Bronze, Iron I, and early Iron II from Hasanlu, Dinkha, Geoy, Hajji Firuz, and Yanik. A version of the document will appear as a foldout in Hasanlu V: The Late Bronze and Iron I Periods. Hasanlu Excavation Reports III. University Museum Monograph. University of Pennsylvania Press. Relevant material from occupation deposits is also shown.
The DGAM has posted its Q1 2015 heritage damage report, titled Initial Damages Assessment for Syr... more The DGAM has posted its Q1 2015 heritage damage report, titled Initial Damages Assessment for Syrian Cultural Heritage During the Crisis, which details damage in 8 of 14 governorates, including 60 heritage places and approximately 117 incidents listed by damage type. A summary produced by ASOR CHI is provided here. (p. 2, Table 1)
Multiple tunnel bombs and barrel bombs were detonated in the Jdeidah quarter of the UNESCO World ... more Multiple tunnel bombs and barrel bombs were detonated in the Jdeidah quarter of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo. (pp. 28–29)
New data emerged on the looting of the Tell Sabi Abyad storehouses in Syria. (pp. 34–36)
Evidence of purported ISIL-issued licenses to loot archaeological sites was released.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act of 2015 (H.R. 1493).
The DGAM and other Syrian heritage groups released reports on heritage damage (especially looting) in the south of Syria. (pp. 10–18)
In Syria, urban warfare represented the leading cause of reported damage, particularly in Aleppo ... more In Syria, urban warfare represented the leading cause of reported damage, particularly in Aleppo and Daraa Governorates. (pp. 7–32)
The level of reported damage in northern Iraq decreased markedly. Media reports focused attention on the looting, trafficking, and sale of conflict antiquities from Syria and northern Iraq.
New incident reports were produced for ISIL deliberate destruction events that took place in northern Iraq prior to the project’s inception. (pp. 33–76)
ISIL now controls the Syrian town of Tadmor and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Pa... more ISIL now controls the Syrian town of Tadmor and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Palmyra. (pp. 8, 29–37)
ISIL now controls the provincial capital city of Ramadi in Iraq. The status of heritage in this area is difficult to ascertain at the present time. (p. 10)
Ten countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates) have announced the Cairo Declaration, a regional action plan designed to stop the illicit looting and trafficking of antiquities. The declaration was announced following an emergency ministerial summit held in Cairo and co-hosted by the Antiquities Coalition and the Middle East Institute. (p. 5)
Damage reports from various sources indicate continued severe damage in the UNESCO World Heritage... more Damage reports from various sources indicate continued severe damage in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo. (pp. 8–13, 16–30)
The press continues to focus attention on archaeological looting, trafficking, and antiquities sales, as well as heritage destruction in the conflict zone.
SARG direct and intentional attacks on heritage places in Syria using airstrikes and artillery co... more SARG direct and intentional attacks on heritage places in Syria using airstrikes and artillery continued with the targeting of a museum (Ma’arat al‐Nu’man) and allegedly areas within Palmyra and Aleppo.
ISIL deliberate destruction at Assur was confirmed using high‐resolution satellite imagery.
YPG advances on Tell Abyad in northern Syria could result in the severing of important ISIL overland routes to Turkey in the Raqqa strategic theater with broad implications for ISIL logistics, command, and criminal revenue streams.
Unconfirmed reports of looting and destruction of sculptures by ISIL at the UNESCO World Heritage... more Unconfirmed reports of looting and destruction of sculptures by ISIL at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra in Syria.
Unconfirmed reports of deliberate destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Assur in Iraq.
Unconfirmed reports of deliberate destruction by ISIL of historically significant religious sites in Iraq.
Critics in the media continue to draw attention to the imbalance in media coverage devoted to heritage issues relative to human atrocities, loss of life, and the humanitarian situation more broadly.
The U.S. House 114th Congress (2015–2016) passed/agreed to by voice vote H.R. 1493 Protect and Pr... more The U.S. House 114th Congress (2015–2016) passed/agreed to by voice vote H.R. 1493 Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act.
The U.S. Department of State and UNESCO held a Stakeholders Roundtable entitled Despoiled and Destroyed: Ancient Civilizations of Iraq and Syria in Paris at UNESCO Headquarters.
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) announced the re-launch of the Emergency Red List of Iraqi Cultural Objects at Risk 2015 Update at the Louvre.
Reports surfaced of ISIL intentional destructions at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ashur (Qal’at Sherqat) in Iraq. (pp. 65–66)
ISIL captured the Syrian city of Tadmor and the immediately adjacent UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra, jeopardizing the safety and welfare of thousands of Syrians and placing an alarming number of cultural assets at high risk of destruction and looting. (pp. 18–37)
Reports on severe combat damage continued to emerge for the main theaters of military action in Syria and Iraq. (pp. 39–63, 64–66)
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Papers by Michael Danti
Dyson, Jr. The western valley is known as Ushnu and the eastern, where Hasanlu is located just south of Lake Urmia, as Solduz (Figure 1). The project was sponsored by the University of
Pennsylvania Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Iranian Antiquities Service. Research conducted at Hasanlu and neighboring sites laid the groundwork for the archaeological
chronology of northwestern Iran, particularly the early Iron Age, thanks in part to the incredibly rich and well preserved destruction level of Hasanlu IVb of the late 9th century BC. The vibrant cultural tradition attested in the destruction level originates in the mid 2nd millennium BC, and scholarly debate continues to focus on the cultural processes that produced and brutally ended it.
New data emerged on the looting of the Tell Sabi Abyad storehouses in Syria. (pp. 34–36)
Evidence of purported ISIL-issued licenses to loot archaeological sites was released.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act of 2015 (H.R. 1493).
The DGAM and other Syrian heritage groups released reports on heritage damage (especially looting) in the south of Syria. (pp. 10–18)
The level of reported damage in northern Iraq decreased markedly.
Media reports focused attention on the looting, trafficking, and sale of conflict antiquities from Syria and northern Iraq.
New incident reports were produced for ISIL deliberate destruction events that took place in northern Iraq prior to the project’s inception. (pp. 33–76)
ISIL now controls the provincial capital city of Ramadi in Iraq. The status of heritage in this area is difficult to ascertain at the present time. (p. 10)
Ten countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates) have announced the Cairo Declaration, a regional action plan designed to stop the illicit looting and trafficking of antiquities. The declaration was announced following an emergency ministerial summit held in Cairo and co-hosted by the Antiquities Coalition and the Middle East Institute. (p. 5)
The press continues to focus attention on archaeological looting, trafficking, and antiquities sales, as well as heritage destruction in the conflict zone.
ISIL deliberate destruction at Assur was confirmed using high‐resolution satellite imagery.
YPG advances on Tell Abyad in northern Syria could result in the severing of important ISIL overland routes to Turkey in the Raqqa strategic theater with broad implications for ISIL logistics, command, and criminal revenue streams.
Unconfirmed reports of deliberate destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Assur in Iraq.
Unconfirmed reports of deliberate destruction by ISIL of historically significant religious sites in Iraq.
Critics in the media continue to draw attention to the imbalance in media coverage devoted to heritage issues relative to human atrocities, loss of life, and the humanitarian situation more broadly.
The U.S. Department of State and UNESCO held a Stakeholders Roundtable entitled Despoiled and Destroyed: Ancient Civilizations of Iraq and Syria in Paris at UNESCO Headquarters.
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) announced the re-launch of the Emergency Red List of Iraqi Cultural Objects at Risk 2015 Update at the Louvre.
Reports surfaced of ISIL intentional destructions at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ashur (Qal’at Sherqat) in Iraq. (pp. 65–66)
ISIL captured the Syrian city of Tadmor and the immediately adjacent UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra, jeopardizing the safety and welfare of thousands of Syrians and placing an alarming number of cultural assets at high risk of destruction and looting. (pp. 18–37)
Reports on severe combat damage continued to emerge for the main theaters of military action in Syria and Iraq. (pp. 39–63, 64–66)