Some interesting comments have been made on this issue and while I can
appreciate the substance of them all - I wonder if there should be some
effort made to acquire the material artifacts, with the permission of the
current owners i.e. the country (the objects likely have no significant
value to them however the act of destruction would likely be quite powerful
and demonstrative as a tool of authority) or to requiest permission to
record them with video, mapping, etc.
Perhaps it's too late, but does anyone think that might be a plausable
argument for say, UNESCO or ICOMOS to make?
HM