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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKhaled al-Asaad profile: the Howard Carter of Palmyra
The historian beheaded by Isis was a key figure in Syrian archaeology and has been compared with the discoverer of Tutankhamuns tomb in Egypt
Caroline Davies and Kareem Shaheen in Beirut
Wednesday 19 August 2015 10.17 EDT
Khaled al-Asaad, the Syrian scholar murdered by Isis, was one of the most important pioneers in Syrian archaeology in the 20th century and a man who devoted his life to promoting and protecting his home town of Palmyra.
He was a fixture, you cant write about Palmyras history or anything to do with Palmyrian work without mentioning Khaled Asaad, said Amr al-Azm, a former Syrian antiquities official who ran the countrys science and conservation labs and knew Asaad personally.
Its like you cant talk about Egyptology without talking about Howard Carter.
Asaad was involved in early excavations of Palmyra and the restoration of parts of the ancient city. The 82-year-old played a role in evacuating the contents of the city museum ahead of Isis taking control, which, Azm said, meant he faced certain arrest when the militants arrived.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/19/khaled-al-asaad-profile-syria-isis-howard-carter-palmyra-archaeology
Beheaded Syrian scholar refused to lead Isis to hidden Palmyra antiquities
Khaled al-Asaad, 82, was interrogated by militants for a month before he was murdered in the ancient city
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/18/isis-beheads-archaeologist-syria
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