Hey everyone, heads up that this is the last episode of our second season.

We're taking a break to work on new episodes for season 3, and we'll be returning in the fall.

So stay tuned, stay safe, and thank you so much for listening.

In times of war, art and culture may seem relatively unimportant.

And this means they usually get overlooked

until it's too late.

But throughout history, conflict has led

to the looting and destruction of art and heritage sites.

And in many cases, looted objects are used to fund ongoing bloodshed.

The repercussions can continue for decades after the conflict itself has ended.

My name is Gabriel Sierra, and this is why it matters.

Today, how does art become a casualty and a weapon of war.

So can you tell me what cultural heritage is and why it's important?

Well, cultural heritage is essentially what represents the shared common history

that a group of people might have

and it can be something very specific as pertaining to a single

group of people, a country, a region, or it could be a worldwide issue.

My name is Amaralazam.

I'm a professor of Middle East history

and anthropology at Shawnee State University in Ohio.

Cultural artifacts are part of your heritage.

So if we're thinking of past cultural heritage, you're thinking of the remains left by ancient peoples,

...