Devouring the past

Wars have long made ancient sites vulnerable to looting, and in post-Assad Syria, this grim tradition continues. In Syria's treasure-hunting fever, a compelling episode from The Guardian's podcast, reporter William Christou talks to Michael Safi about the ongoing plunder of the ancient city of Palmyra. Once a jewel of the Roman Empire and a Unesco World Heritage site, Palmyra now lies pockmarked with holes - dug by desperate Syrians in search of millennia-old burial treasures.

Christou explains how the collapse of Syria's security infrastructure and the deep poverty left in war's wake have driven ordinary people to hunt for antiquities. Joining the discussion is archaeologist Amr Al-Azm, founder of the Athar Project, which monitors online trafficking of looted artefacts. He describes how the Islamic State's earlier exploitation of cultural heritage sites has fuelled a lasting appetite for illegal excavation.

But the looters are not the only ones to blame. Al-Azm points to the global antiquities market - particularly buyers in Europe and North America - as complicit. Without tackling demand, he warns, the destruction will continue. This sobering episode is a must-listen for anyone concerned about the survival of our shared cultural heritage.