RED LIST OFSYRIANCULTURAL OBJECTSAT RISKR E D L I S TISK                     JECTS AT R
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Introduction

PurposeSyria has, over many millennia, been home
to diverse cultures and ancient kingdoms,
including prehistoric tribes, Islamic societies,
European crusaders, Persian merchants andthe Abbasid and Ottoman Empires. Syrians
have diligently preserved and protected thematerial remains of these past cultures,supported by the development of national
legislation.

The fight against illicit traffic in cultural
goods requires the enhancement of legal
instruments and the use of practical tools
disseminating information, raising publicawareness, and preventing illegal export.

Events shaking the Arab region have triggereda wave of concern regarding cultural heritage
in Syria. The threat of long-lasting damage
to Syrian cultural heritage sites is especiallyworrisome. Objects from these sites are highly
coveted in the international art and antiquities
markets and therefore subject to theft, looting,and illicit trafficking.
Syria’s diverse cultural heritage is reflectedin the plurality of its national character. The
ongoing destruction of sites and disappearance of cultural objects impoverishes ourknowledge and understanding of Syrian
cultural heritage and its many and varied
contributions to world heritage.

Following reports of widespread damage andlooting at cultural heritage sites in Syria, theInternational Council of Museums (ICOM)
decided to publish the Emergency Red List of
Syrian Cultural Objects at Risk with the aim
to help art and heritage professionals and law
enforcement officials identify Syrian objects
that are protected by national and international
legislations. In order to facilitate identification,
the Emergency Red List illustrates the categories
or types of cultural items that are most likely
to be illegally bought and sold.
Museums, auction houses, art dealers andcollectors are encouraged not to acquire
such objects without having carefully andthoroughly researched their origin and all
the relevant legal documentation. Due to thegreat diversity of objects, styles and periods,
the Emergency Red List of Syrian Cultural
Objects at Risk is far from exhaustive. Any
cultural good that could have originated from
Syria should be subjected to detailed scrutiny
and precautionary measures.

The cultural heritage of Syria is protectedby the following national and international laws:
NATIONAL LEGISLATIONINTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

Decree-Law No. 84 of the Civil Code regarding archaeological objects
covered by specific laws (18 May 1949).

The Hague Convention of 14 May 1954
for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict(ratified, 6 March 1958)
and the First Protocol (ratified, 6 March 1958).

Legislative Decree No. 148 of the Penal Code regarding the destructionsof historical monuments (22 May 1949).
Legislative Decree No. 222 on the Antiquities regime in Syria(26 October 1963), as amended by the Antiquities Law (5 April 1999).
Law No. 38 on Customs (6 July 2006).
Decree-Law No. 107 regarding local administration (23 August 2011).

UNESCO Convention of 14 November 1970
on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export
and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property(accepted, 21 February 1975).
UNESCO Convention of 16 November 1972
Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage(accepted, 13 August 1975).

Should you suspect that a cultural object originating from Syria
may be stolen, looted or illegally exported, please contact:
Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums(DGAM)

International Council of Museums(ICOM)Rue Qasr el-Heir - Damascus - Syria

22, rue de Palestro - 75002 Paris - France

Tel: +963 11 22 54 811

Tel: +33 1 47 34 05 00

Tel/Fax: +963 11 22 52 342

Fax: +33 1 43 06 78 62

E-mail: dgam@dgam.gov.sy

E-mail: illicit-traffic@icom.museum

RED LIST OF SYRIANIMPORTANT NOTE: A Red List is NOT a list of actual stolen objects. The cultural goods depicted are of inventoried objects within the collections of recognised
institutions. They serve to illustrate the categories of cultural goods protected by legislation and most vulnerable to illicit traffic.
ICOM wishes to thank all of the institutions and people who so generously provided the photographs presented in the Syrian Red List.

The objects presented in the Emergency Red List of Syrian Cultural Objects at Risk cover the following periods:
Prehistory and Ancient history (Prehistory, Ancient civilizations and Roman Syria) > 10,000 BC - AD 636
Islamic era and Middle Ages (from Umayyad Caliphate until Ottoman period) > AD 637 - 15th century AD
Ottoman period > 16th century AD - AD 1918

Writing

Early Bronze Age to Ottoman period (3rd millennium BC - AD 1918)

Cuneiform, Aramaic, Syriac, Greek, Latin and Arabic inscriptions.
Ceramic (clay, terracotta) and bronze tablets: May be square-shaped, rectangular or with rounded corners(circular). Sometimes impressed with a cylinder seal. Average size: 3-30 x 3-30 cm. [1–2]
Stone and bronze plaques and steles: Square-shaped.
Paper and parchment manuscripts, scrolls and books:
With Greek, Syriac or Arabic writing. May be decorated
with ornamental figures and gold colouring.
1. Clay cuneiform tablet with rounded corners, Mari, 1900 - 64 BC,
7.1 x 7 cm. © Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Damascus

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2. Square bronze tablet, Mari, 21st century BC, 11 x 11 cm.
© Mari archaeological mission

Figural sculpture2

Prehistory to Islamic era (6th millennium BC - 15th century AD)

Sculpted animal and human figures.
Sculpture in the round > Ceramic (clay, terracotta) votive figurines:
Female figurines with emphasized sexual features, sometimes painted orwith one or more beak-like heads and jewellery. Figures standing, sitting,riding horses or playing musical instruments. Greek and Roman examples
may have distinct drapery folds. Height: 10-20 cm. [3–4]
Stone (gypsum, basalt, alabaster), wood and metal (gold, silver) statues:
Women with hats or elaborate headdresses. Men are typically bald and/or
bearded. Clothing may be plain, layered or wavy. Long skirts or dresses
with one shoulder bare. May have eyes inlaid with lapis lazuli and/or
inscriptions on the back. Height: 10-120 cm. [5–6]

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Bronze male figurines: May be covered with appliqués (gold, silver).
Usually standing or striding with one arm raised andwearing a short skirt. Height: 8-20 cm. [7]3. Terracotta female figurine, Halaf, 6th millennium BC, 8.8 cm.
© Bavarian State Archaeological Collection, Munich
4. Baked clay votive figurines, Euphrates region, Early Bronze Age IV (2300 - 2000 BC),
max. height 21.8 cm. © Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels
5. Alabaster statue of a Mari woman with eyes inlaid with shell and blue stone(lapis lazuli), Mari, ca. 2350 BC, 36 cm. © National Museum of Damascus / Sophie Cluzan
6. Alabaster statue of a Mari man with eyes inlaid with shell and blue stone(lapis lazuli), Mari, ca. 2400 BC, 40 cm. © National Museum of Damascus / Sophie Cluzan
7. Bronze statuette of a man marching with an arm raised high and the head covered withgold appliqués, Ugarit, ca. 1300 BC,12 cm. © National Museum of Damascus / Sophie Cluzan 567

CULTURAL OBJECTS AT RISK
Alabaster and bone ‘Eye Idols’: Abstract depictions of humans withflat trapezoidal bodies and oversized eyes. May have carved lines
depicting clothing. Height: 3-6 cm. [8]8. Alabaster ‘Eye Idols’, Eye Temple (Tell Brak), 3200 BC, 4 x 2.6 x 0.5 cm.
© Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Damascus
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Sculpture in high and low relief > Limestone funerary reliefs: One or more busts facing the viewer.
Women with elaborate headdresses and jewellery. Often with ancient Aramaic or Greek inscriptions next
to the head. Average dimensions: 50 x 40 x 15 cm. [9]Clay and stone (gypsum, marble) votive reliefs: Figures facing forward, standing, sitting or riding (horses,
camels), usually with bare feet, helmets and weapons. Often with an inscription in ancient Aramaic or Greekon the base or next to the head. Average dimensions: 20-50 x 30-70 x 15 cm. [10]Ivory reliefs: Plaques decorated with figures, animals, plants or geometric motifs sometimes perforated.
Some depicting a “Woman at the window”. Average dimensions: 10 x 10 cm. [11]9109. Limestone funerary bust, Palmyra, 3rd century AD,
60 x 45 cm. © Directorate-General of Antiquities andMuseums, Damascus

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10. Gypsum low relief of “Asadu and Sadai”,
Dura-Europos, 1st - 2nd century AD, 46 x 46 x 8 cm.
© National Museum of Damascus

11. Ivory plaque of a “Woman at the window”,
Arslan Tash, Iron Age (8th century BC), 8 x 9.7 x 1.2 cm.
© Aleppo Museum / Giorgio Affanni

Vessels

Prehistory to Ottoman period (7th millennium BC - AD 1918)
Ceramics (pottery, clay, terracotta), metal (bronze, copper), stone and glass. Plain, or with incised or relief
decorations (human, vegetal, animal, geometric). Ceramics may be glazed, burnished, varnished, painted(red, brown, black) and/or inscribed. [12–13–14–15–16]

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12. Ceramic globular jar with painted red geometric motifs, Central Syria,
Early Bronze Age II (1800 - 1600 BC), 20 x Ø max. 15 cm.
© National Museum of Damascus
13. Painted ceramic “reserved slip” cup, Moumassakhin, Early Bronze Age IV B
(2500 - 2000 BC), 12 x Ø 6 cm. © National Museum of Damascus

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14. Unglazed cast ceramic flask with Arabic inscriptions and moulded decorations,Hama, Islamic era (14th - 16th century AD), 20 x 10 x 5 cm. © Hama National Museum
15. Painted ceramic bowl, Bab Sharqi (Damascus), Islamic era (14th -15th century AD),5 x 9.8 cm. © Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Damascus
16. Copper casserole with rounded bottom decorated with three men with halos
and floral and geometrical figures, Damascus, Mamluk Period (AD 1249 - 1323),
11 x Ø 17.7 cm. © National Museum of Damascus

RED LIST OF SYRIAN
Amphorae from the Hellenistic era may have rectangular or circular
stamps with Greek writings, flowers, animals or objects.
Roman glass vessels may have multicoloured patterns. Roman,
Parthian and Umayyad ceramics have a green glaze. Later Islamic era
vessels have multicoloured glazes with floral decorations. [17–18]
17. Glass bulbous long-necked bottle, Northern Syria, 2nd - 3rd century AD, 13.6 cm.
© Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Damascus
18. Glazed polychrome ceramic vase, Mamluk period (AD 1249 - 1323), 33.5 x Ø 26.5 cm.
© Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Damascus

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Architectural elements

Antiquity to Ottoman period (3rd millennium BC - AD 1918)
Mosaics: From floors and walls, stone, ceramic and glass cubes; presenting humans, buildings, landscapes. [19]19. Limestone cube mosaic of a shrine with animals and vegetal motifs(whole scene and a detail), At Tamani‘ah, second half of the 5th century AD,
85 x 85 cm total piece, individual cubes 0.8-1 cm.
© Maarat al-Nu‘man Museum / Kamit Abdallah

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Fragments and ornaments: Stone (basalt, limestone, marble). Moulded or plain columnbases. Cornices ornamented with triglyphs (vertical channels) and metopes (flat rectangular spaces).
Carved capitals, lintels and waterspouts, often with sculpted vegetation. Wooden panels with sculpted
vegetation and Islamic writings. Basalt doors with Christian motifs. Wall paintings, glass and glazed
ceramic tiles, stucco decorations, small terracotta plaques, clay and stone reliefs. [20–21–22–23]

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20. White limestone Corinthian capital with two rows of acanthi leaves, Harem,
Byzantine period (5th - 6th centuries AD), 61 x 14 x inf. Ø 47 cm. © Idlib Museum

22. Ceramic tile, Turizi Compound (Damascus), Islamic era (15th century AD), 18.5 x 2 cm.
© Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Damascus

21. White limestone lintel, Byzantine period (5th - 6th centuries AD), 253 x 69 x 66 cm.
© Idlib Museum

23. Gilded glass tile with cross-shaped motifs, Maarat al-Nu’man, 9th - 12th century AD,
9 x 9 cm. © National Museum of Damascus / Ali Othman

Models: Terracotta reproductions of buildings, mostly from the 3rd - 2nd millennium BC.
Foundation deposits: Inscribed terracotta cones and terracotta, metal and stone tablets.

Accessories and instruments

Prehistory to Ottoman period (7th millennium BC - AD 1918)

Inlays: Ivory, mother-of-pearl, shell and limestone. Alone or embedded into reliefs, plaques, furniture andwooden panels from boxes. May depict humans, animals or hybrids. Max. length: 15 cm. [24]Weapons and tools: Stone blades and grinding stones. Bronze or iron swords, daggers, pierced axes, spear
and arrow heads (may be inscribed), armour, craft and farming tools. [25]

CULTURAL OBJECTS AT RISK
Lamps: Bronze and terracotta lamps with rounded bodies and a hole on the top, hollowed nozzle andlooped handles or lugs. Glass stemmed neck lamps topped with a round button. [26]Jewellery: Metal (gold, silver, bronze) rings, star- and flower-shaped pendants, bracelets and earrings;
may be inlaid with coloured stones. Stone beads (carnelian, lapis lazuli, quartz). [27–28]
Various instruments: Clay, wood, bone, stone, sculpted shells, ivory and metal (copper, zinc, lead, tin, alloys)
objects for daily use. Astrolabes and other Islamic era instruments. [29]
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24. Stone inlay depicting a human-headed bull, Ebla, ca. 2400 BC, 10 x 15 cm.
© Sophie Cluzan
25. Bronze pierced axe, Levant, 19th - early 18th century BC, 11 x 14 cm.
© Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels
26. Bronze lamp, Damascus region, Roman period (64 BC - AD 636), 2.7 x 13.2 cm.
© Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Damascus

Stamps and cylinder seals

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27. Gold crescent earrings with inlaid gemstones, Tell El-Qita (Aleppo),
Hellenistic period (312 - 63 BC), 2.59 x 3.21 x 0.2 cm. © Aleppo Museum
28. Stone bead necklace with lapis lazuli jewel, Mari, 1900 - 64 BC, 19.26 cm.
© National Museum of Damascus
29. Metal astrolabe, Islamic era (16th century), 2.5 x Ø 15.3 cm.
© National Museum of Damascus

Prehistory to Byzantine era (6th millennium BC - AD 636)

Stone or ceramic (terracotta, glazed ceramic) stamp seals: Animal or geometric shape, one or more flatsides engraved with human, animal or geometric designs. May be perforated. Max. dimensions: 5 x 5 cm. [30]
Coloured cylinder seals (stone, ivory, terracotta, glazed ceramic): Pierced cylinders, carved withinscriptions and a variety of different motifs (human, animal, hybrids). Average height: 3 cm. [31]3130
30. Red limestone stamp and seal impression, Hasseke province (Tell Brak),
Late Chalcolithic (ca. 3800 - 3500 BC), 6.75 x 5.5 x 10 cm. © Tell Brak project

Tessera and coins

31. Hematite cylinder seal and impression, Ugarit, ca. 2000 - 1190 BC,
3 x 2 cm. © Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Damascus

Achaemenid to Ottoman period (539 BC – AD 1918)

Terracotta tessera: Small square tokens with human figures, animals or
objects and sometimes Aramaic inscriptions. Length: 2-3 cm.
Metal (gold, silver, bronze) coins > Graeco-Hellenistic: With portraitsof kings and queens (obverse), gods standing or sitting, surrounded byGreek inscriptions, animals and objects (reverse). [32]32

Roman: With the emperor’s portrait (obverse) and a variety of motifs with
Latin inscriptions, often the letters “SC” (reverse). [33]Byzantine: With the emperor’s portrait (obverse), but with letters and/or
Christian symbols (reverse).
Islamic: With Arabic inscriptions on both sides.

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32. Silver tetradrachm with Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII, Ras Ibn Hani (Latakia), 40 - 31 BC. © Ras Ibn Hani mission / F. Bernel
33. Bronze Antoninianus coin with a radiated bust of Emperor Gallienus, Sura (Raqqa), AD 261 - 268, Ø 2.2 cm. © Sura Mission / Ali Othman

ICOM AND THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGEICOM maintains formal relations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) and has a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
as an expert in the fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods. ICOM also works in collaboration withorganisations such as INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO) to carry out some of its
international public service missions.
The protection of heritage in the event of natural disaster or armed conflict is also at the core of
ICOM’s work, thanks to its Disaster Risk Management Committee (DRMC) and through its strong
involvement in the international Blue Shield. ICOM has the ability to mobilise expert networks
in the field of cultural heritage from all over the world thanks to its numerous programmes.
In 2013, ICOM created the first International Observatory on Illicit Traffic in Cultural Goods in order toreinforce its action in fighting illicit traffic.
The Red Lists have been designed as practical tools to curb the illegal trade in cultural objects. ICOM
is grateful for the unwavering commitment of the experts and institutions who generously contributeto the success of the Red Lists.

The Red Lists are available at the following address: http://redlist.icom.museum

With the generous support of:

U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Washington, D.C.

22, rue de Palestro - 75002 Paris - France
Tel: +33 (0)1 47 34 05 00 - Fax: +33 (0)1 43 06 78 62
E-mail: illicit-traffic@icom.museum - Website: http://icom.museum© 2013, ICOM, all rights reserved. - Graphic design: TTT. Cover: Ivory statue of “The Tambourine Player”, Ugarit, Late Bronze Age (1550 - 1200 BC), 5 cm. © Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Damascus

The International Council of Museums (ICOM), created in 1946 to represent museums and museum
professionals worldwide, is committed to the promotion and protection of natural and cultural heritage,
present and future, tangible and intangible. With a unique network of over 40,000 members in 138
countries and territories (2018), ICOM is active in a wide range of museum-and heritage-related disciplines.