Early Life and Education
He is an immortal figure from my country, born in the city of Homs—the city of the sun and emperors—in 1926. He completed his primary and secondary education there in 1945. From a young age, he showed artistic and literary inclinations, winning a short story award. His talent in drawing was also evident, although it remained a hobby.

Academic Qualifications and Career

• 1946: Enrolled at the American University of Beirut.

• 1952: Earned a Bachelor of Arts in History, then moved to Suwayda Governorate to work in teaching.

• 1954: Assigned by his professor, Dr. Salim Adel Abdul Haq, to the Directorate of Excavation and Archaeological Studies in the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, where he remained until 1998.

• 1959: Began teaching at the University of Damascus until 2000.

• 1960–1998: Served as a member of the Council of Antiquities and the editorial board of the Syrian Archaeological Annals journal.

• 1959–2000: Lecturer in History and later in the Archaeology Diploma program at the University of Damascus (from 1983).

• Served on the Supreme Council for the Promotion of Literature and Social Sciences.

• 1983–2000: Member of the Arab Writers Union and editorial board member of Arab Heritage magazine.

• Corresponding member of the British Academy and the German Archaeological Institute.

• Member of the International Scientific Committee for Mari Journal and several other international scientific and archaeological institutions.

• Member of the Board of Trustees of the Syrian Geographical Dictionary.

• Member of the Supreme Committee for the Renovation and Development of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.

• Member of UNESCO’s international committee for preserving Beirut’s historic archaeological sites (1995–1996).

• Secretary of the International Conference on Classical Archaeology held in Damascus (1969).

• Secretary of the International Symposium on Ugaritic Studies in Latakia (1975), the Palmyra and Silk Road Symposium (1992), and General Commissioner of the Syrian exhibition at the Arab World Institute in Paris (1993).

• Lectured at numerous universities in Europe, America, Japan, and the Arab world.

National Archaeological Excavation Missions

• 1955–2000: Led or co-directed many Syrian archaeological missions, including at Um Hurra Cemetery, Tel Abu Ali (Simira, south of Tartus), Zakir (north of Shahba), Palmyra (various sectors including Diamos, Shalm Lat, the Long Street, Palmyra Forum, Baalshamin Street, Nabu Temple, the Tetrapyle, baths, and more), Ras Shamra, Tel Al-Fri, Tel Siano, and Ras Ibn Hani.

• Conducted emergency archaeological works, stratigraphic surveys, and oversaw training of students and young staff in excavation methods.

Major Publications

• 1962: Palmyrene Art

• 1966: Introduction to the History of the Ancient East

• 1975: Palmyrene Inscriptions (with Xavier Tissier, in French)

• 1976: Modern Archaeological Excavation

• 1978: Palmyra and the Palmyrenes

• 1979: Palmyra Archaeologically and Historically (with Khaled Al-Asaad, in French, English, German, Japanese, Italian)

• 1986: The Nabu Temple in Palmyra (three volumes, in French)

• 1987: Women on the Roads of Palmyra

• 1990: Apollodorus of Damascus

• 1994: Palmyrene Sculptures (with Anna Sadurska)

• 1998: Ras Ibn Hani (with Jacques La Gars, French Academy Prize)

• 2001: Introduction to the History of Writing in the Ancient Arab East

Articles and Research
He published around 200 research papers, articles, and lectures in archaeology and history in Arabic, French, and English, appearing in Arab and international scientific journals and encyclopedias.

Honors and Awards

• Dutch Order of Nassau – Commander

• French Academic Palm – Commander

• French Legion of Honor – Officer

• Italian Order of Merit – Officer

• Belgian Order of Leopold II – Officer

• Danish Order of Dannebrog – Knight

• Collège de France Medal (France)

• Schliemann Medal from the Berlin Academy of Sciences

• 1990: Honored in the commemorative book Reviving the Past in Appreciation of Adnan Al-Bunni (Leiden, Netherlands)

• 1994: EU Award from the University of Venice for work on Palmyrene sculptures (with Anna Sadurska)

• Recognized by the Arab Writers Union’s Research and Studies Association (1999)

• Honored by Damascus University (2000)

• Bordin Prize from the French Academy (2000) for The Northern Ugaritic Palace in Ras Ibn Hani (with Jacques and Elisabeth La Gars)

Languages
Fluent in Arabic, French, and English; conducted research in ancient languages including Palmyrene Aramaic.

Words of Wisdom
Dr. Adnan Al-Bunni once said:

“The broader the horizon, the narrower the phrase. A person must think, revise, and correct in order to write a complete, comprehensive statement. It is unfortunate that our books are judged by their number of pages. We practice historical criticism, and our acceptance of criticism allows us to write our history accurately. History is not the science of narrating events, but of analyzing, criticizing, and discovering the true laws governing the universe. Great and constructive ideas do not emerge from nothing. Our ancient history has its laws, movements, and events, based on documents we are now abundantly uncovering in our land.

Archaeological excavation is not a scientific luxury, nor mere digging for treasure. It is a highly important cultural process connected to the most sacred human heritage.”

References

• Adnan Al-Bunni: An Archaeologist on the Paths of Civilization, Dr. Ali Al-Qayem – Ministry of Culture.

• Dr. Adnan Al-Bunni, Honored Writers, Biography and Academic Career, Arab Writers Union.