Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Sauron · 04-13-2003, 10:33 AM

...which really sucks for Archaeology:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003Apr12.html

At Baghdad's Antiquities Museum
'Our Heritage Is Finished'
Looters Destroyed What War Did Not

By Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, April 13, 2003; Page A01

BAGHDAD, April 12 -- At the National Museum of Antiquities, where priceless artifacts had been wrapped in foam and secured in windowless storage rooms to protect them against U.S. bombs, an army of looters perpetrated what war did not: They smashed hundreds of irreplaceable treasures, including Sumerian clay pots, Assyrian marble carvings, Babylonian statues and a massive stone tablet with intricate cuneiform writing.

As employees returned today to survey the damage at one of the world's greatest repositories of artifacts, they encountered devastation that defied their worst expectations. The floor was covered with shards of broken pottery. An extensive card catalog of every item the museum owns, some of which date back 5,000 years, was destroyed. A cavernous storeroom housing thousands of unclassified pieces was ransacked so badly that an archaeologist predicted it would be impossible to repair many of the items.

Of course, the USA knows its priorities:

Some Iraqis, however, question the allocation of U.S. forces around the capital. They note a whole company of Marines, along with at least a half-dozen amphibious assault vehicles, has been assigned to guard the Oil Ministry, while many other ministries -- including trade, information, planning, health and education -- remain unprotected.

"Why just the oil ministry?" Jaf asked. "Is it because they just want our oil?"

04-13-2003, 10:33 AM	#1
Sauron Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: In the dark places of the world Posts: 8,093	Another side-effect of the Iraq war.... ...which really sucks for Archaeology: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003Apr12.html At Baghdad's Antiquities Museum 'Our Heritage Is Finished' Looters Destroyed What War Did Not By Rajiv Chandrasekaran Washington Post Foreign Service Sunday, April 13, 2003; Page A01 BAGHDAD, April 12 -- At the National Museum of Antiquities, where priceless artifacts had been wrapped in foam and secured in windowless storage rooms to protect them against U.S. bombs, an army of looters perpetrated what war did not: They smashed hundreds of irreplaceable treasures, including Sumerian clay pots, Assyrian marble carvings, Babylonian statues and a massive stone tablet with intricate cuneiform writing. As employees returned today to survey the damage at one of the world's greatest repositories of artifacts, they encountered devastation that defied their worst expectations. The floor was covered with shards of broken pottery. An extensive card catalog of every item the museum owns, some of which date back 5,000 years, was destroyed. A cavernous storeroom housing thousands of unclassified pieces was ransacked so badly that an archaeologist predicted it would be impossible to repair many of the items. Of course, the USA knows its priorities: Some Iraqis, however, question the allocation of U.S. forces around the capital. They note a whole company of Marines, along with at least a half-dozen amphibious assault vehicles, has been assigned to guard the Oil Ministry, while many other ministries -- including trade, information, planning, health and education -- remain unprotected. "Why just the oil ministry?" Jaf asked. "Is it because they just want our oil?"

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