DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – In recent months, Damascus and its surrounding areas have seen an unprecedented rise in illegal excavations targeting Roman, Byzantine, Jewish, and Ottoman sites. What was once a risky and clandestine activity has become increasingly public, raising alarm among archaeologists and heritage experts.
Analysts attribute this surge to two primary factors: the security vacuum created by the dissolution and restructuring of police and security forces, and rumors suggesting that Syria’s laws against antiquities smuggling have changed, allegedly allowing individuals to excavate in exchange for giving the state one-fifth of the value of any discovered treasures.
Treasures of the past
Local diggers classify the buried treasures around Damascus into three main categories:
- Roman and Byzantine relics: Burial sites often containing Byzantine gold coins.
- Jewish treasures: Including Rashadi liras and precious ornaments.
- Ottoman caches: Frequently buried by retreating Ottoman troops, sometimes holding up to 1,000 gold coins, usually at shallower depths than older tombs.
Modern treasure hunters increasingly rely on advanced magnetic-wave devices to detect metal and underground cavities.
“I use a frequency detector that sends magnetic waves through the soil. Every metal has a unique frequency,” said Abu Walid, a local digger who spoke under a pseudonym. “We scan the area in 3D to determine the type and value of the metal.”
He added, “We can even detect geological changes that happened hundreds of years ago. Some sites yield treasures, others don’t.”
Myths and superstition
Superstitions remain strong among diggers. Abu Meyar, another excavator, claimed some tombs are “guarded by jinn.”
“When workers felt dizzy and short of breath, we realized the tomb was guarded,” he said. “A sheikh known for communicating with the jinn had to negotiate with the spirits before we could continue.”
He added, “You must reach an understanding with the guarding jinn to proceed safely.”
Deep digs and strange signs
Abu Meyar described one ongoing excavation reaching 18 meters deep.
“We found it thanks to two fingerprints and an oval carving on a Roman column inside a relative’s house,” he explained. “The markings suggest it’s the tomb of a temple priestess.”
“We’ve found charcoal, sand, human bones, and carvings of a face with one eye open and one closed, plus a stone-carved phallus — all signs of Roman burial.”
Despite months of labor, success is not guaranteed. “If we find nothing, that’s normal,” he said. A worker nearby lamented, “We’ve been digging for four months; our hands are torn apart.”
Greed and violence
The hunt for treasures has led to deadly disputes. “When you find gold, people lose their minds,” Abu Meyar warned.
Abu Walid recounted a shootout in western Qalamoun where several diggers were killed over discovered treasure. “We were led to a site by a woman claiming spiritual powers. Disputes erupted, and several people died. The treasure was found, but greed took over.”
Abu Meyar shared his own experience: “I recovered a jar containing ten kilograms of Jewish gold coins. Despite protection from a security officer under the previous regime, we were caught, the gold confiscated, and I was sentenced to ten years, serving three before escaping to Lebanon. I returned after the general amnesty.”
Law and reality
According to lawyer Intisar Ghassoun, Syria’s antiquities laws remain unchanged.
“No law has been amended,” she said. “Article 56 of the Penal Code still imposes 15–25 years for smuggling antiquities, and Article 57 prescribes 10–15 years for theft or unauthorized excavation, with harsher penalties if the site is damaged.”
Threats to cultural heritage
Archaeologist Ibtisam al-Maghribi warned that unregulated digging endangers Syria’s cultural identity.
“These excavations highlight the weakness of municipal and heritage institutions and the Ministry of Culture’s passivity,” she said. “Instead of preserving discoveries for the country’s legacy, they are destroyed to avoid accountability, erasing vital historical layers.”
Al-Maghribi added: “The Ministries of Culture and Interior must enforce existing laws to protect antiquities and safeguard Syria’s heritage.”
Between the allure of sudden wealth, superstition, and lawlessness, Damascus today has become a chaotic battleground over its own history — one that could yield extraordinary finds or lead to further erasure of a civilization thousands of years old.