The Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums (DGAM; Arabic: المديرية العامة للآثار والمتاحف‎) is a Syrian government owned agency that is responsible for the protection, promotion and excavation activities in all sites of national heritage in the country. The directorate was established shortly after Syria's independence in 1946 under the central supervision of the Ministry of Culture.[1] In 2012, Prof. Dr. Maamoun Abdulkarim was appointed as director-general until 26 Sep.