ARKEO ARSLAN
What threats does Cultural Heritage face?
Cultural heritage faces numerous threats, both natural and human-induced. Natural factors such as earthquakes, floods, and climate change, as well as human pressures such as war, fire, illegal excavations, theft, urban pressure, and tourism density, can undermine the integrity of artifacts. Vandalism is particularly prominent among these human threats. Vandalism encompasses intentional and unintentional actions such as writing on, scratching, and spray-painting historic structures, breaking statues and reliefs, removing stones, and removing fragments from archaeological sites. Such interventions not only cause physical damage but also irreversibly damage the artifact's authenticity, scientific value, and transmission to future generations.