Lebanon’s archaeologists work to keep its ancient heritage afloat as war halts digs

Lebanon keeps uncovering evidence of its long history, but war has made some of the country’s most valuable archaeological sites too dangerous to excavate. Work in the south has largely stopped after heavy Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion linked to the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Among the discoveries made in recent years are the columns and bases of a Roman temple at Maasser al-Shouf, southeast of Beirut. The temple dates from between the first century BC and the second century AD, and Myriam Ziade, a regional antiquities official, said a Crusader fortress later occupied the site. Excavations began in 2022 after the local municipality reported huge stone blocks on the hill in 2017.

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A whole system was built around this temple.

The site sits along an ancient road network connecting the Mediterranean coast with the Bekaa Valley. Archaeologists are expected to resume work there. Baalbek, farther east, remains home to one of Lebanon’s best-preserved Roman temple complexes, set near the mountainous border with Syria.

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We are now focused on protecting endangered heritage in southern Lebanon and in the Bekaa, particularly in the Baalbek region.

The war has forced the culture ministry to change priorities. Sarkis Khoury, its head of antiquities, said officials now focus on protecting endangered heritage in southern Lebanon and around Baalbek. Excavations in dangerous areas have stopped, archaeological missions are operating at minimal levels, and foreign teams have left the country. UNESCO has added the coastal city of Tyre, with its Roman triumphal arch and second-century hippodrome, and five castles in the Jabal Amel region to its World Heritage in Danger list. The group includes Beaufort fortress, which Israeli forces have occupied since May.

Some archaeology continues in safer areas. In the northern coastal city of Batroun, work has proceeded around the remains of a small Roman amphitheater as archaeologists document new finds. The sites reflect layers of Lebanese history spanning Phoenician, Persian, Roman and Byzantine periods, as well as the Crusades and later Arab and Islamic empires.

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Excavations in dangerous areas have come to a halt, and archaeological missions are going through a period of minimal activity throughout Lebanon, especially in the southern regions.