Lost cities / archaeology / ancient history

As an ex-archaeologist truly tragic, but something which happens irrespective of whichever era of history or ideology.

Which prompts the question as to what's more important - the physical object,find & record or its documentation.

Normally defacing the icons of your predecessors has satisfied tyrants but that leads to objectifying sacred objects into prestige exhibition pieces sold for badly interpreted consumption.

Interestingly the heritage / museum / antiquities sector is struggling to cope with this issue as their sources of artefacts aren't exactly the purest and they are reticent to share their find sources. And yet buyers are having a field day with Libyan and other nations civil society breakdown - all to be seem in a headline exhibition in the west when things settle down. £18.50 + corporate sponsors.