A general view shows the Roman Theater in the ancient city of Sabratha, 80 km west of Tripoli, 31 March 2006. Sabratha is considered one of the most significant ancient towns in Libya. (KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images)

They've survived thousands of years of the elements -- rain, wind, sun, sand -- but Libya's invaluable archaeological sites are now at risk from humans.

The North African country has been inhabited for tens of thousands of years and been influenced by a variety of cultures -- by prehistoric people, Berbers, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans before Libya was ever a nation. The modern country has five UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Cyrene, Leptis Magna, Sabratha, Ghadames, and the rock art sites at Tadrart Acacus, and archaeologists worry that the lack of conservation measures will lead to vandalism and damage from tourism, according to Al Jazeera.

When a revolution broke out in the country in 2011, foreign archaeologists had to be evacuated from all the sites around the country. According to Nature, 11 Italians researching prehistoric rock art were thought to be the last archaeologistsevacuated in 2011.To protect the sites from being damaged during the revolution, a group of researchers created a no-strike list with precise coordinates for NATO so destruction could be avoided during military operations, reported Oberlin College and Conservatory.

Although the conflict ended in 2012, the country continues to experience unrest and many European governments have issued warnings preventing all but essential travel, reported the Libya Herald.Tensions are especially high after a car bomb exploded outside the French Embassy in Tripoli in April, destroying half of the building and injuring two French guards, according to the New York Times.

"The conflict moment is one thing. But the post-conflict moment is more risky," said UNESCO official Francesco Bandarin in an interview with CNN. "There isn't an administration, you have lots of weapons all over -- and then you have the take. This is what happened in Egypt, in Iraq, in Afghanistan -- that's exactly what happens."

The five World Heritage sites in Libya offer researchers access to a rich cultural and historical narrative. The oldest of the sites -- the cave art at Tadrart Acacus -- dates back to 12,000 BC, and even the younger cities built by Romans are thousands of years old. Cyrene, a Greek city that was "one of the principal cities in the Hellenic world," according to UNESCO, later became a Roman capital until it was partially toppled by an earthquake in 365 AD. Leptis Magna was originally a Phoenician port founded in the first millennium BC and was later conquered by Romans, as was the Phoenician trading post of Sabratha. The last World Heritage site is Ghadames, one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities in the world that's known as "the pearl of the desert."

While all of the sites have proven their ability to withstand the natural world, their future at the hands of mankind remains uncertain.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Nine Desolate Ghost Towns