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Lost/vandalised history
Topic Started: Mar 7 2013, 10:46 PM (693 Views)
CJ
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A very minor case of serious brain damage

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21587468

I read an article today about British historical sites that had been deliberately destroyed. These days, we have some of the best-protected national heritage on the planet, but there was a time when that wasn't the case. One example that's given is the destruction of William Shakespeare's last place of residence; its owner, Reverend Francis Gastrell, had it razed to the ground in 1759 out of sheer spite, after he'd become involved in a tax dispute with local officials, and become tired of tourists wanting to see it. This would be unthinkable today, and even then, it caused such an outrage that Gastrell was eventually forced out of Stratford-upon-Avon.

It's also shocking to think that we nearly lost Stonehenge. However, this was due to neglect rather than official vandalism: in the 19th century, it was popular with picnickers, who left food behind, which encoruaged rats and rabbits, who weakened the monument's foundations. Things weren't made any better by the fact that the picnickers liked to chip bits of stone off as souvenirs.

It's very sad when things like this happen :( . There are countless examples of this throughout world history, of course; are there any historical sites whose destruction you particularly regret?
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lamna
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Just today on tumblr I heard about Parthian Zoroastrian temple that's being left to rot and be vandalized in Iran.
http://www.cais-soas.com/news/index.php/component/content/article/65/370-qoms-parthian-fire-temple-left-at-her-own-devices-to-be-destroyed

There are so many things from the ancient world that were destroyed by conquest. The Carthaginians likely had just as rich a history as the Greeks and Romans, but it was almost all lost when the Romans destroyed them. Now almost all we know is from archaeology or what their enemies said about them, which is obviously going to be biased.

When the Mongols conquered Baghdad they destroyed so many books it's said the Tigris ran black with ink. Who knows what we lost then.

And when Alexander the Great captured Persepolis he destroyed it. The magnificent capital of the greatest empire the world had yet seen, seat of the Shahanshah, King of Kings, the richest city under the sun, burned to ash.
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CJ
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A very minor case of serious brain damage

Sad to hear about that temple. It looks pretty far gone as it is :( .

At least some ruins of Persepolis remain. I guess we'll never know much about the other things that were lost, though :( .
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CJ
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A very minor case of serious brain damage

Another piece of history has been lost :( :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22285284

The 11th Century minaret from Aleppo's Ummayad mosque has been destroyed. It isn't specified whether it was the doing of rebels or government forces, but both sides blame the other.
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Mechanized
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All I'm going to say is, The Great Library of Alexandria.
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CJ
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A very minor case of serious brain damage

Yet another example here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22521669

A construction company in Belize has bulldozed a 2,300-year-old Mayan pyramid in order to obtain gravel for roadfill. Criminal charges could be brought against the company, as any pre-Hispanic ruins automatically have government protection.

Wow, I don't know what to say.
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Mechanized
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Nothing is sacred.
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CJ
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A very minor case of serious brain damage

Looks like there has been plenty in Syria:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28191181

My heart sinks whenever I read stories like this. At least it looks like there are plans to rebuild some of it once peace is restored (for example, that minaret I mentioned a few posts up) - and, as for the rest, at least we recorded it while we had the chance.
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CJ
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A very minor case of serious brain damage

And more. ISIS have been bulldozing historic sites, including the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-31760656

I know it's nothing compared to what they've been doing to people, but, even so, it's utterly deplorable :'( ....
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