This Open Access book explores heritage conservation ethics of post conflict and provides an important historical record of the possible reconstruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues, which was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in Danger in 2003 as "Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley". With the condition that most surface of the original fragments of the Buddha statues were lost due to acts of deliberate destruction, this publication explores a reference point for conservation practitioners and policy makers around the world as they consider how to respond to on-going acts of destruction of cultural heritage.

Whilst there has been an emerging debate to the ethics and nature of heritage reconstruction, this volume provides a plethora of ideas and approaches concerning the future treatment of the Bamiyan Buddha statues. It also addresses a number of fundamental questions on potential heritage reconstruction: how it will be done; who will decide; and what it should be done for. Moreover when it comes to the inscribed World Heritage properties, how can reconstructed heritage using non-original materials be considered to retain authenticity?

With a view to serving as a precedent for potential decisions taken elsewhere in the world for cultural properties impacted by acts of violence and destruction, this volume introduces academic researches, experiences and observations of heritage conservation theory and practice of heritage reconstruction. It also addresses the issue not merely from the point of a material conservation philosophy but within the context of holistic strategies for the protection of human rights and promotion of peace building.
The Future of the Bamiyan Buddha Statues: Heritage Reconstruction in Theory and Practice, Dr. Masanori Nagaoka (editor), Springer, Hardcover, 389 pp, $65.00

Dr. Masanori Nagaoka (editor) currently works at the UNESCO Phnom Penh Office as Culture Specialist. He has been working in the Culture sector of UNESCO for 17 years at both headquarters (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) and field offices (Jakarta cluster office and Kabul office). Having implemented a number of projects and activities including in Afghanistan, Timor Leste, the Philippines, Indonesia and so forth, he has managed projects and programmes in all fields of UNESCO Culture sector, which includes safeguarding of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, promotion of cultural diversity and tourism, culture policies for sustainable development, museums management and promotion of UNESCO normative instruments. He holds a PhD in Heritage Studies from Tsukuba University in Japan and received a Master Degree in Archaeology and Art History from Columbia University in New York, USA. He published a number of scientific peer-reviewed papers by Routledge, Springer, Emerald, ICOMOS and so forth.

CONTENTS: Future of the Bamiyan Buddha Statues
Part I	Introduction
The Future of the Bamiyan Buddha Statues -- Evolving Conservation Ethics and Principles concerning Intentionally Destructed Cultural Heritage Masanori Nagaoka		3
Part II	An Overall Review of the Emergency Interventions at the Bamiyan World Heritage Property Implemented from 2003 to 2017
Safeguarding the Buddha Statues in Bamiyan and the Sustainable Protection of Afghan Cultural Heritage Mounir Bouchenaki		19
Safeguarding and Preservation Activities at the Giant Buddhas and Other Monuments in the Bamiyan Valley 2004-2017 Bert Praxenthaler and Matthias Beckh		31
Cultural Identity and the Revival of Values After the Demolishment of Bamiyan's Buddhist Wall Paintings Yoko Taniguchi		51
The Cultural Master Plan of Bamiyan: The Sustainability Dilemma of Protection and Progress Michael Jansen and Georgios Toubekis		71
Part III	Deliberate Destruction of Heritage and Its Recovery
World Heritage and Reconstruction: An Overview and Lessons Learnt for the Bamiyan Valley Mechtild Rossler		99
Palmyra: From War and Destruction to Rehabilitation Maamoun Abdulkarim		113
Role of the Traditional Masonry Corporation in the Process of Reconstruction of the Destroyed Mausolees in Timbuktu, Mali Lassana Cisse		123
Jewish Attitudes to the Reconstruction of Synagogues in post World War II Europe Michael Turner		135
Part IV	Heritage Reconstruction in Theory
Destruction and Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage as Future-Making Cornelius Holtorf		157
The Roles of the Locals - and the Possible Reconstruction of the Destroyed Buddha Statues in the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanisatan Marie Louise Stig Sorensen		173
Learning from Ground Zero: The Presence of Absence at Two Sites of Destruction Helaine Silverman		187
Part V	Future Treatment of the Bamiyan Buddha Statues
Reflections on the Case of Bamiyan Jukka Ilmari Jokilehto		205
Entangled Narrative Biographies of the Colossal Sculptures of Bamiyan: Heroes of the Mythic History of the Conversion to Islam Deborah Klimburg-Salter		215
Could the Giant Buddha Statues of Bamiyan Be Considered as a Case of "Exceptional Circumstances" for Reconstruction? Junko Okahashi		239
Emptiness and Authenticity at Bamiyan James Janowski		257
Part VI	Technical Intervention Proposals for the Reconstruction of Bamiyan Buddha Statue
The Renaissance of Bamiyan (Afghanistan) and Some Proposals for the Revitalisation of the Bamiyan Valley Claudio Margottini, Andrea Bruno Nicola Casagli, Giacomo Massari, Heinz Ruther, Filippo Tincolini, and Veronica Tofani		275
Physical Revitalization of the Eastern Buddha Statue in Bamiyan Using Reinforced Adobe Material Georgios Toubekis, Michael Jansen, and Matthias Jarke		307
Technical Proposal for Revitalizing the Eastern Buddha Statue in Bamiyan Kosaku Maeda, Shigeyuki Okazaki, Noritoshi Sugiura, Aya Yamaguchi, Masaaki Miyasako, Kazuya Yamauchi, Kenji Tamai, Shigeo Aoki, and Takashi Inoue		331
Annexes		351