A story in The Times shows how much of Iraq’s historical artifacts are being destroyed by looters.
Among examples in the letter, seen yesterday by The Times, was a Babylonian sculpture of a lion dating from about 1700BC that lost its head because the terracotta shattered as looters tried to remove it.
Another was the destruction of the Ana Minaret on the Euphrates about 190 miles (310km) west of Baghdad, revered for 1,000 years as a unique construction. It was blown up by Islamic extremists apparently for fear that it would be used as an American observation post.
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Professor Gibson said that damage done to the great cities of Sumer and Babylon had been “very extensive”.
The city of Larsa — a Babylonian capital from about 1900-1800BC — bears tracks from diggers that are being used to scrape up the site and carry the dirt to the side where it is sifted for objects. The city of Isin — a capital from 2000-1900BC — has been pitted, some holes going as deep as 10 metres (33ft), and there are tunnels running out from the pits.
Professor Gibson said: “This damage is so severe that archaeologists may never return to the site.”
No mention is made in the article of the extensive damage done by US and UK forces during and after (?) the war. One example I remember was watching US tanks driving over the remnants of the city of Ur. Ur was once thought to be the oldest city on earth. It used to be protected by one man living in a hut. When the historian Michael Wood visited (it’s miles from anywhere), he picked up a 5000 year old piece of mosaic from the dirt. He showed it to the guard, who said he could keep it as a souvenir.
