Most liked, -1) ? There has been a surge in antiquities originating in Syria available online since the outbreak of the civil war. (All royalties are being donated to the Iraq Museum.) Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. [13] Houghton could find no one designated with the task of protection and preservation of culture in Iraq. Just over 2,000 recoveries were the result of raids, the biggest being at a farmhouse on 23 September. And the efforts of Iraqi, US and Italian officials, plus police and customs worldwide, have so far led to the recovery of 5,400 items, nearly 700 from inside the US and Britain. After Iraq gaining independence from Britain, the absolute ban on antiquity exports was lifted. On April 10 2003, the first looters broke into the National Museum of Iraq. At 1.43pm, its lid was prised open and there was every Hollywood film's idea of ancient treasure - gold crowns, bracelets, necklaces and anklets. continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. ), in the trunk of a car. Jesus sent out 70 Disciples to preach His Good News. The museum was effectively ransacked for the next 36 hours until employees returned. In 2015 the Iraq Museum in Baghdad re-opened 12 years after the looting. All this - as well as the remarkable tale of the reclaiming of the fabulous Treasure of Nimrud - is told in Thieves of Baghdad, available only in the US, and written by Matthew Bogdanos who has been described, with only a minimum of hyperbole, as a real-life Indiana Jones. [29] Lesser known sites were completely unguarded and the responsible Civil Affairs teams didn't even know where they were. real-world solutions, and more. Objects were unearthed from backyards, fished out of a cesspool, recovered in pre-dawn raids. Meanwhile, many of Iraq's 12,500 archaeological sites continue to be vulnerable to looting, and the Iraq Museum remains closed, its treasures bricked up within interior storage rooms. Before the war, leading archaeologists had warned that the museum was vulnerable, but neither Iraqi officials nor invading troops were prepared for such aggressive plunder. 0000001948 00000 n [12] In late spring 2002, Houghton was approached by Ashton Hawkins, former Executive Vice President and Counsel to the Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum, and was asked to find out what was being done by officials to secure heritage sites in the upcoming war in Iraq. [24], When the looting of the National Iraq Museum became known, experts from around the globe started planning to remedy the situation. 0000001275 00000 n "It is the only museum in the world where you can trace the earliest development of human culture—technology, agriculture, art, language and writing—in just one place.". (Genesis 11:3-32) Abraham picked a bride from Iraq for his son Isaac. He says he can't remember if there was even an organizational plans to solve specific issues. [31], Early July 2003, UNESCO revealed that looting was still happening at sites across the country. Oldest first, -1) ? 2. In a courtyard smoldered the remains of hundreds of Ba'ath party cards and files. While destruction and looting of cultural heritage has been a by-product of war for thousands of years, the scale of the looting of the Iraq Museum was staggering. Iraqi Col. Ali Sabah, displays ancient artefacts Iraqi Security Forces discovered in 2008, during two raids in northern Basra. 17th Annual Photo Contest Finalists Announced. Are you sure you want to submit this vote? Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. [1] By the end of World War I, British-administrated Mesopotamia created protections for archaeological sites where looting was beginning to become a problem. [2] They established an absolute prohibition on exporting antiquities. ���F�ѼUl�B�QI�8��|�nɔwQ�w�hS@&3��7�C�CBc�7��l`�OĨO�[�������.��R%xrN�3%*_�s�WL�@�����~7c)NHy�8� The museum’s collection of cylinder seals (used to print images, usually into clay) was hit especially hard as they were easy to conceal and transport and had a ready market overseas. 0000008635 00000 n 'active' : ''"> The chaos following war provided the opportunity to pillage everything that was not nailed down. Looting of ancient artifacts has a long tradition. They dispatched descriptions to border guards, customs agents, international police agencies and archaeologists around the world. Before the start of the Iraq War, the US government created a post-war plan for Iraq. The looting of the Baghdad Museum on April 10 – 12 of 2003 was not only a looting of Iraq’s heritage and world heritage, but of the heritage of the Jews and the Christians, also. Employees turned in items stolen by their bosses.”. Log in to update your newsletter preferences, Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email. The story of what really happened inside the Iraq Museum when thousands of valuable antiquities were stolen in the immediate aftermath of the 2003 US invasion has been revealed in a new book. “It is the only museum in the world where you can trace the earliest development of human culture—technology, agriculture, art, language and writing—in just one place.”. After two tours in Iraq and service in the Horn of Africa and at the Pentagon, Bogdanos returned home to New York City in 2005, in time for the publication of his book, Thieves of Baghdad. [31] On July 8, a new security guard force known as the Iraqi Facility Protection Service (FPS) was established to protect sites all around the country in co-operation with the US military. [38], Other institutes from America and around the world have contributed to protect sites in Iraq. T/F, 2. (c. 460 BC) The Biblical prophet Nahum prophesied against Iraq. Early Christian Communion—Wine or Mingled Wine? While 7,000 items have been recovered, more than 8,000 remain unaccounted for, including artefacts thousands of years old from some of the earliest sites in the Middle East. [31] Other military services such as Japanese and Dutch troops offered assistance but were ignored. [32] A week later, the State Department announced it was forming a group to assist in the rebuilding of Iraq's cultural heritage. On July 14, 2014, ISIS destroyed the tomb because they thought it was idolatrous. Sextus Julius Africanus—Why Did The Magi Come ? (Genesis 24:3-10) Jacob, Isaac’s son, spent c. 20 years in Iraq. Interpol and the University of Chicago have fastidiously maintained databases for objects looted from museum. 0000031684 00000 n By fall 2002, post-war planning was sporadic and improvised. Cookie Policy gold-and- ivory plaque known as The Lioness Attacking a Nubian and choice pieces of statuary from the ancient city of Hatra. Most of the lost artifacts have been found or returned, but there are still a significant amount that have been lost or have found their way into the thriving, illegal market for stolen artifacts. University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. One by one they were opened, revealing the burial goods from the royal tombs of Ur, until one box remained. The museum reopened in 2014, somewhat a shadow of its former self. Other treasures were seized from international antiquities markets in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and New York. 0000003522 00000 n [19] Any protection of culture, sites or buildings was stopped due to the priorities of other matters. [25] Perhaps 25 thousand of an estimated half million sites were registered. Please Keep up-to-date on: © 2020 Smithsonian Magazine. Give a Gift. The US started teaching military personnel headed for Iraq the importance of cultural heritage and site preservation.

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