Talks

On 25th May 2021, Dr Mary Shepperson was invited by the British Institute for the Study of Iraq to deliver a public lecture. Taking a modern conflict approach, her talk explored the material remains of the war, their interaction with more ancient heritage sites, and the potential significance of conflict heritage in Iraq, both now and in the future. The Iran-Iraq war was one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century, and had a profound impact on Iraqi history, society and landscape. More than 30 years on from the end of the conflict, with surface artefacts in the latter stages of decay and landscape features being increasingly cleared for agriculture and development, is it time to start considering these remains as heritage and initiating preliminary work on recording, preserving and presenting selected elements?