Cultural Artifact and Cultural Loss Training
Gracie Golden, University of Pennsylvania Cultural Heritage Center, and subject matter expert on the European region of Georgia, provides the Soldiers of the 415th Civil Affairs Battalion, Kalamazoo, Mich., with solid examples of how seemingly beneficial restorations of cultural artifacts can in fact lead to the degradation of cultural heritage. The 415th CA Bn. is preparing to deploy to Eastern Europe for Atlantic Resolve later this spring and recently held a virtual training deep diving with cultural heritage experts in support of USACAPOC(A) 38G functional specialty teams and the upcoming mission, 23-24 March, 2021. Soldiers received overview training on a range of subjects including The Hague Convention, identification of trafficked objects, trust issues within cultural heritage and how artifact restoration can lead to culture loss.