Antiquities plundered as Iraq war continues
Even Iraq’s archaeological riches aren’t immune to the devastating
effects of war. According to a new study, widespread looting of
archaeological sites throughout southern Iraq has taken its toll on the
‘cradle of civilisation’.
Elizabeth Stone, professor of anthropology at Stony Brook University in New York, USA, studied high-resolution satellite imagery of almost 10,000 square kilometres of Iraq and, combined with anecdotal reports and sightings from flyovers, she found that a total of 15.75 square kilometres of land – or 213 out of 1,900 archaeological sites – have been intensively looted since 2003, when the images were taken.
Artefacts such as coins, statues and cuneiform tablets, which feature some of the earliest forms of written expression, are believed to have been stolen, leaving archaeologists curious as to their whereabouts, as few have shown up on the international market. Even if the antiquities are recovered, said Stone, much of what can be learnt from them has already been lost during their removal – an artefact’s location in relation to other objects and buildings, for example.
Steps have been taken to protect Iraq’s rich archaeological heritage, but with just 1,000 officers employed to guard nearly 10,000 sites, combined with the ongoing war, the looting is likely to continue indefinitely.
According to Tim Whelan, director of the US-based Getty Conservation Institute, which has been addressing the issue of site conservation, ancient Mesopotamia (which included modern-day Iraq) is the birthplace of writing, mathematics, medicine and astronomy, and holds ‘the cultural DNA for the West’.
Hazel Cottrell
May 08
Elizabeth Stone, professor of anthropology at Stony Brook University in New York, USA, studied high-resolution satellite imagery of almost 10,000 square kilometres of Iraq and, combined with anecdotal reports and sightings from flyovers, she found that a total of 15.75 square kilometres of land – or 213 out of 1,900 archaeological sites – have been intensively looted since 2003, when the images were taken.
Artefacts such as coins, statues and cuneiform tablets, which feature some of the earliest forms of written expression, are believed to have been stolen, leaving archaeologists curious as to their whereabouts, as few have shown up on the international market. Even if the antiquities are recovered, said Stone, much of what can be learnt from them has already been lost during their removal – an artefact’s location in relation to other objects and buildings, for example.
Steps have been taken to protect Iraq’s rich archaeological heritage, but with just 1,000 officers employed to guard nearly 10,000 sites, combined with the ongoing war, the looting is likely to continue indefinitely.
According to Tim Whelan, director of the US-based Getty Conservation Institute, which has been addressing the issue of site conservation, ancient Mesopotamia (which included modern-day Iraq) is the birthplace of writing, mathematics, medicine and astronomy, and holds ‘the cultural DNA for the West’.
Hazel Cottrell
May 08
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