This is scientific American 60 second science. I'm Cynthia Graber. Got a minute?

The revolution in Libya four years ago toppled Muammar Gaddafi.

It also led to hopes for a cultural revolution, but violence has increased,

any cultural revolution is on hold, and Libya's world-renowned archaeological sites as well

as its scientists need protection. That's the conclusion of Savino Delernia,

director of the archaeological mission in the Sahara

at the Sapienza University of Rome.

He made his points in a commentary in the journal Nature.

Delernia has worked in Libya since 1990,

studying, for example, 9,000-year-old wall art

that depicts crocodiles and cattle.

In addition to the activities of indigenous people,

the country's archaeological sites hold artifacts from ancient Greek and Phoenician cultures.

But the unrest has stopped work on these archaeological treasures.

The fighting is damaged historic mosques and tombs,

and relics are being trafficked out of the country,

both for profit and to support radical groups.

Delernia argues that international groups should fund local research

and continue training Libyan scientists in the hopes of a

resumption of the cross-cultural exchanges and scientific training that had been going on before the

violence.

Allowing Libyan archaeology to die would be, he says,

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