Destruction and Preservation as Aspects of Just War

The concern with monument destruction in warfare is as old as the world's earliest historical texts and monuments. This remarkable historical evidence comes from Iraq and Syria, where history is now in the process of being systematically obliterated. What is the aim of such destruction, and what is the role of preservation in these wars? This essay will address destruction and preservation as aspects of war, and will introduce the Columbia University Mapping Mesopotamia Monuments project.