Heritage at War combines familiarisation briefings and a practical wargame in order to explore the theme of cultural heritage protection from a military perspective by assessing how culture can be weaponised and exploited within a fictional setting. It also provides the means to help participants understand the practical difficulties of implementing cultural protection during conflict. Heritage at War is both timely and significant, for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Preliminary Special Report on Protecting Cultural Heritage in Conflict recently recognised that "despite enjoying protection under international law, cultural heritage finds itself increasingly under attack in conflicts across the world…[and that] malicious authoritarian States and non-state actors actively seek to weaponize it to pursue their pernicious goals". While it is a reality that armed conflict may result in the destruction of cultural heritage, Heritage at War demonstrates that adequate preparation is required before conflict to mitigate loss. This final point lends itself directly to Article 3 of the Hague Convention where Parties (to the Convention) are to “prepare in time of peace for the safeguarding of cultural property…against the foreseeable effects of an armed conflict”.
Heritage at War: wargaming the nexus of culture and conflict
Overview
Programme details
9:30am: Introductions
10am: Introductory Lecture: Heritage at War
11am: Short break
11.30am: Wargame Scenario Brief
1pm: Lunch
2pm: Wargame
3.30pm: Short break
4pm: Wargame / Wargame Review
5pm: Close
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| In-person tuition: 17 June 2026 | £330.00 |
Payment
Payment of fees must be made in full at the time of booking.
Please note that businesses and organisations can be invoiced on provision of a Purchase Order and completed application form. These can be emailed to the CWHE Programme Administrator, email: cultural.heritage@conted.ox.ac.uk.
Tutor
Mark Dunkley
Mark Dunkley ASyI FSA is a Visiting Fellow affiliated to Cranfield Forensic Institute, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and an Associate of the Security Institute. A former public sector archaeologist specializing in the management of cultural heritage sites, he has investigated archaeological sites across the UK, overseas and underwater, and has published widely on cultural heritage protection. His research interests encompass understanding the exploitation of cultural heritage across the spectrum of conflict: He has taught at the NATO CIMIC Centre of Excellence in The Hague, the Koninklijke Military Academy in the Netherlands, the Faculty for Total Defence at the General Command and Staff College of the German Armed Forces in Hamburg and at the US Army War College in Carlisle, PA, and he has deployed on resilience operations and contingency planning in support of civil authorities. He has written extensively on the relationship between culture and conflict: He is co-editor of Cultural Heritage in Modern Conflict (2022), Heritage at War: Plan and Prepare (2024) and Cultural Arsenal: The Weaponisation of Heritage in Armed Conflict (in prep).
Course aims
Aim 1: Raise Awareness of International Law
Aim: To increase participants' understanding of the international legal framework and ethical responsibilities surrounding the protection of cultural property in armed conflict.
Objectives:
- Identify Legal Instruments: Participants will be able to identify key legal instruments, such as the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Protocols.
- Apply Rules of Engagement: Participants will demonstrate an understanding of how to apply relevant rules of engagement to protect cultural sites and objects during military operations.
- Recognize Emblematic Sites: Participants will be able to identify and differentiate between protected cultural sites marked with the Blue Shield emblem and other heritage locations.
Aim 2: Develop Strategic Decision-Making
Aim: To enhance participants' ability to make effective and ethical decisions when faced with dilemmas that threaten cultural heritage in a dynamic conflict environment.
Objectives:
- Prioritize Heritage Assets: Participants will learn to prioritize which cultural assets to protect based on their universal value, immediate threat level, and logistical feasibility.
- Coordinate with Stakeholders: Participants will be able to demonstrate effective communication and coordination with a range of actors, including military forces, local authorities, and cultural heritage experts.
- Mitigate Collateral Damage: Participants will develop strategies to minimize collateral damage to cultural heritage while achieving military objectives, such as adjusting target selection or operational timelines.
Aim 3: Foster Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Aim: To demonstrate co-operation and mutual understanding between military personnel and cultural heritage professionals to ensure the successful preservation of at-risk sites.
Objectives:
- Understand Roles and Perspectives: Participants will be able to articulate the different roles and perspectives of military commanders, legal advisors, and cultural heritage specialists in a conflict zone.
- Establish Communication Protocols: Participants will work together to establish clear and efficient communication protocols for reporting threats to cultural heritage.
- Integrate Cultural Considerations: Participants will practice integrating cultural heritage considerations into all stages of military planning, from initial intelligence gathering to post-conflict stabilization efforts.
Learning outcomes
Participants will be able to articulate the strategic, legal, and ethical imperatives for protecting cultural heritage. This means that by the end of the wargame, participants will not just understand that they should protect cultural sites but will also be able to explain why it's important from multiple perspectives—including its role in winning strategic narratives, its value under international law, and the moral obligation to preserve it.
Participants will be able to apply planning and decision-making processes that integrate cultural heritage considerations. This outcome focuses on the practical application of knowledge. Upon completion, participants will be able to demonstrate how to factor cultural sites into operational planning, how to modify tactics to avoid damage, and how to make quick decisions when faced with a real-time dilemma between a military objective and a heritage site.
Participants will be able to effectively co-ordinate and communicate with diverse teams to manage cultural heritage risks. The wargame will enable participants to practice working with different roles and backgrounds. They will demonstrate the ability to share information clearly with legal advisors, intelligence officers, and civilian cultural heritage experts to ensure that valuable information about at-risk sites is acted upon correctly and in a timely manner.
Application
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please contact us to obtain an application form.
Accommodation
Accommodation is available to book for this course at Rewley House. If you have any questions regarding the accommodation please get in touch with Continuing Education Residential Centre res-ctr@conted.ox.ac.uk.
All bedrooms are modern, comfortably furnished and each room has tea and coffee making facilities, Freeview television, and Free WiFi and private bath or shower rooms.