Stones and Lives: The Ethics of Protecting Heritage in War - Hardcover

The fate of heritage in war has attracted considerable attention in recent years, due in no small part to ISIS's campaign of destruction across the Middle East and, in 2012, the International Criminal Court's first prosecution of heritage destruction as a war crime. Regular armed forces have been criticised for both failing to protect and damaging heritage sites. In response, heritage organisations urge the better implementation of existing international laws on heritage protection in war. This book argues that any such law or policy will require combatants to choose between safeguarding heritage and safeguarding other goods, including human life. It thus challenges the view, repeatedly expressed by heritage professionals, that the choice between protecting heritage and protecting lives is a false dichotomy. Existing international law not only implies such choices but also, more worryingly, gives no indication of how they should be resolved.