Giorgio Buccellati on Archaeology as Moral Presence in Syria

Archaeologist Giorgio Buccellati, speaking at the Museo Egizio in Turin during the conference "Coraggio fra le rovine. L’archeologia come presenza morale in Siria," explained that his work helps people stay in Syria rather than migrating. Together with his wife Marilyn Kelly Buccellati, he leads the only active project at Tell Mozan/Urkesh in northeastern Syria, though excavation ceased in December 2011 due to civil war. For twenty-five years prior, they excavated Urkesh, a major urban center dating to 4000 BC. Unable to dig for five years, they now fund site maintenance using simple conservation techniques—"l'arte povera della conservazione"—and maintain human relationships with local workers and assistants through daily monitoring via photos, written reports, Skype, and email. The site, 60 km from ISIS territory, remains in good condition and receives occasional visitors, including university students from a besieged city. Buccellati emphasizes sharing values rather than "educating," which he finds paternalistic, to foster a sense of identity and belonging. The project aims to give locals pride in their territory, countering migration.