Syria has struggled and been divided by a civil war for over a decade. Cultural heritage is part of human identity and needs to be protected and preserved for the sake of the Syrians and the international community alike. Memories of places and artefacts, social connection and peace can be built on heritage that is common and can be shared. This volume is based on the CIPA workshop organised during the 10th ICAANE held in Vienna in April 2016. The contributions collected therein discuss present challenges in the region and provide an overview of strategies and applications to use various techniques and methods to record and document heritage of Syria, also offering possible prospects for the future.

The State of Lagash was one of the major political powers in the Sumerian world of the 3rd millennium BC, with archaeological attestations at least since the 5th millennium BC. Located in present-day southern Iraq, this State incorporated three main cities: Girsu (Tello), Lagash (Tell al-Hiba), and Nigin (Tell Zurghul). The volume presents the results of studies and excavations carried on in these sites until 2015, providing new data for their historical interpretation. The volume collects contributions to the research at al-Hiba, under the supervision of H. Pittman, a section dedicated to the first archaeological campaign undertaken at the site of Nigin under the direction of D. Nadali and A. Polcaro, and the research on the site of Girsu under the joint direction of S. Rey and F. Husain.