Lawrence Rothfield and "The Rape of Mesopotamia"

In April 2003, like many of us, Lawrence Rothfield watched with great concern as news accounts detailed the pillage of Iraq's National Museum. Since then, the looting of sites around Iraq has not ceased, and Rothfield, as co-founder and former director of the Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago, has been working on an extensive inquiry into how such wholesale thievery and destruction was allowed to occur.



In his resulting work, The Rape of Mesopotamia (University of Chicago Press, 2009), Rothfield reconstructs the planning failures - originating at the highest levels of the U.S. government - that led to the invading forces' utter indifference to the protection of Iraq's cultural heritage from looters. Widespread incompetence and miscommunication enabled a tragedy that continues even today, despite widespread public outrage. Bringing his story into the present, Rothfield argues that the international community has yet to learn the lessons of Iraq - and that what happened there is liable to be repeated in future conflicts. The Rape of Mesopotamia is a powerful, infuriating chronicle of the disastrous conjunction of military adventure and cultural destruction.

Rothfield was recently featured in the article "Iraq War's cultural costs as seen through a Chicago prism" by Julia Keller in The Chicago Tribune, where Rothfield reveals that one of the reasons that spurred him to write this authoritative account was its many connections to the city of Chicago.



The Rape of Mesopotamia is essential reading for all concerned with the future of our past, and is now available from the SAFE Store. 


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The Scars of War

While time does not heal all wounds, it offers the possibility for reflection and recovery. On May 28, the New York City Bar Association called on archaeologists, lawyers, and all interested parties to gather in the halls of the House of the Association in mid-town Manhattan to discuss, “The Art of War: The Protection of Cultural Property in War and Peace.” Moderated by Lucille A. Roussin, the speakers included Donny George, former Director General of the Iraq Museum and now a visiting Professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook; Corine Wegener, President of the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield; and Colonel Matthew Bogdanos of the U.S. Marine Corps who headed the investigation into the looting of the Iraq Museum.

Dr. Donny George discussed the constitution and law of antiquities of Iraq while lamenting over the destruction caused not just by Sunni and Shiite factions, but also by attempts to increase tourism. Corine Wegener reflected on the 1954 Hague Convention that was finally ratified by the U.S. Senate on September 25, 2008. Last, Colonel Bogdanos captivated the audience with his description of the investigation into the looting of the museum and subsequent recovery of the artifacts. He explained the amnesty offered to those who would return pieces as well as his opinions about what happened, how, and why. All is explained in his book, “Thieves of Baghdad,” also reviewed on SAFEcorner, a must-read for everyone because everyone needs to be aware of what can happen if we do not work together to protect our history.

Interesting questions arose in the discussion including: why did this happen? However, I am more interested in finding out how we can prevent such destruction in the future. I also am interested in remarks made about the U.S. not having a Department of Culture like many other countries throughout the world. Is there a place for such a government-funded organization? Furthermore, could you imagine the jobs this would provide?

I hope that many who listened to these speakers are inspired to get involved, especially with organizations like SAFE whose mission is to increase public awareness about protecting our past. The looting of archaeological sites in Iraq continues despite the recovery of some of the collections and the re-opening of the Iraq Museum. Some wounds are healing, but there are still scars left.

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Preserving architectural heritage: A review of "Time Honored. A Global View of Architectural Conservation"

What equates such different and distant places as the New York State Pavilion in Queens (New York City), the Bamyan site in Afghanistan, the Fenestrelle Fortress in the Italian Alps?

The elliptical canopy of the New York State Pavilion with its oversized, mosaic-made map of the state of New York is one of the few remaining structures from the historical event of 1964-1965 World’s Fair. The hollow cliff side in the Bamyan valley sadly reminds us of the two ancient monumental statues of Buddha Vairocana and Buddha Sakyamuni, once peacefully overlooking the site, mercilessly dynamited and destroyed in 2001. And the fortress of Fenestrelle, also called the “Great Wall of the Alps,” with its complex architectural layout, is one of the largest fortified structures remaining in Europe from the Eighteenth century, and as such an important crossroad for all of European history and identity.

The shared feature of these historical sites, these monuments, is that they are significant examples of the international architectural heritage the humankind risks to lose forever, and as such are all included in the World Monuments Fund’s Watch Program, the watch listing that every two years the Fund – a private organization based in New York City, and dedicated to saving the world’s most treasured places – releases in order to promote public awareness, and encourage solutions, about threatened cultural heritage worldwide.

The reasons why it is so important that we care for and preserve not only the natural environment and landscape, but also the historical built environment and landscape, that is the result of the interaction between human societies and natural environment over the centuries, are clearly explained by John H. Stubbs in the volume Time Honored: A Global View of Architectural Conservation. The author, Associate Professor of Historic preservation at the Columbia University’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, has also served, among other assignments, as Field Director for the World Monument Fund itself, and so his expertise in and knowledge of the “state of the art” regarding the international architectural preservation issues, their historical and epistemological context, have been acquired through decades of field work around the world.

Even if the book is essentially a comprehensive survey of theory, practice and framework of the architectural heritage conservation through the world - and so an indispensable tool for those directly involved in the field, like professional preservationists or historical conservation students - still its clear explanation of ideas and topics makes it an interesting and useful reading to whoever has interest in the cultural heritage conservation in general.

The first, basic question the volume answers is what the “objects,” the “artifacts” of the architectural preservation, are: they are not only single buildings like the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Uffizi Palace in Florence, or the Potala Palace in Tibet, but also structures like the Roman Aqueduct of Pont du Gard in France, or the Great Wall in China, and urban historic centers like those of Lima (Perú), Venice (Italy), or Cienfuegos (Cuba). These are clear examples of our universally shared architectural heritage, testimonials of a history and of a cultural identity common to us all; but deciding and choosing what to conserve today for the future generations is the crucial, and most difficult, task because the concept of history and of cultural identity, of which the whole cultural patrimony is an embodiment, change in time according to societal changes. There are no universal, absolute criteria to be followed, only guidelines and standards debated and renegotiated over time. The author lists and briefly analyzes the standards, or “types of value or significance,” most commonly used to classify the architectural heritage and to emphasize the importance of its preservation: universal, associative (historic and commemorative), aesthetic, exemplary and instructive. Even curiosity, in the sense of desire to know about ancient practices, is among the features that conventionally identify the architectural artifact to be preserved.

The reason why the protection and preservation of this specific aspect of the world’s cultural heritage should be a commonly shared concern is that the architectural patrimony contains a rooted history of cultural ideas and styles, and it witnesses and ensures the historical continuity of the environment in which we live, in a word our sense of belonging to a place, not only physically, but also culturally. Stubbs takes into account the multiple threats challenging the built environment, from the inevitable damaging action of passing time on structures and materials, of the weather conditions and/or natural disasters, to man-caused destructive actions resulting from social and economic changes, such as building or updating economic infrastructure, increased tourist flow, pollution, and so forth, without forgetting about war and armed conflicts. Similarly, he describes the various possible actions of intervention available to the architectural conservationist, keeping in mind that each single intervention is always a complex operation - not only from a technical and scientific point of view, but also from a cultural one - requiring extreme attention and careful consideration, and that the ultimate rationale should always be respecting the structural integrity and the surviving historic architectural fabric.

The penultimate chapter of the volume provides factual examples of architectural conservation practice, along with challenges and solutions, carried out in different areas of the world. Starting from Europe, where the awareness about the preservation of built environment has its historical and philosophical roots, and where nevertheless many new challenges have arisen nowadays (tourism pressure, uncontrolled development, pollution, etc.), the tour continues following geographical divisions (North Africa and Western Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, East and Southeast Asia, Austro-Pacific Region, North America, Latin American and the Caribbean, even unusual places like the Polar Regions) starting with localities where the heritage protection has consolidated tradition and practice, and moving on to areas where the concern is new or just forming. Pictures elucidate issues to be faced and positive actions undertaken for each region of the world examined: about the Polar Regions, for instance, in addition to the major ecological concerns, the reader learns that structures built by explorers, like the hut erected by British Robert Falcon Scott in 1911 on Ross Island in Antarctica during the so-called Terra Nova Expedition (1910-1913), or sites related to the Arctic Native cultures are also at risk, and not only because of the extreme weather conditions. But at the same time the reader discovers that conservation projects are underway, or already completed, in order to save these unique examples of cultural heritage.

Finally, the four appendices concluding the volume offer exhaustive indices about terminology used, organizations and resources operating in the international architectural conservation field, international and regional conventions, charters and recommendations, and annotated bibliography indispensable to whoever, professional or amateur, wants to pursue the understanding of this essential element of our world’s cultural patrimony.

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“Cultural vandalism”: The destruction of ancient Kashgar

The Chinese government has begun its plan to raze the old oasis city of Kashgar to the ground. According to news reports, two-thirds of this old city has already been bulldozed. Over the next few years, 85% of Kashgar will be demolished.

Kashgar, “virtually untouched by modern society,” is an important oasis city strategically located on the ancient Silk Road in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Northwest China. Architect and historian George Michell described Kashgar as "the best-preserved example of a traditional Islamic city to be found anywhere in central Asia." The Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim ethnic group, predating the advent of Islam, are one of China's largest ethnic minorities.

Because Kashgar is a city that lies in the heart of Central Asia, it was one of the most important cities along the northern route of ancient Silk Road. As much influenced by European, Islamic, and Persian cultures as Chinese, the city has been known to exist in this area since the Han Dynasty (ca. 202 B.C. – 221 A.D.). Since that time, it has seen heavy traffic from people coming from Europe, Central Asia, and East Asia as they made their way from the city of Xian in the East, all the way to the western part of the Roman Empire. Today, it is a city that covers roughly 15 square kilometers, and is still an important connection point on routes between China and northern Pakistan over and around the Taklamakan Desert.

It is a city that has been occupied by dozens of cultural groups, and influenced by countless more. The rich archaeological heritage that has been left behind by hundreds of years of traders goes without saying. It is a heritage that should not be lightly dismissed, and yet it is in imminent danger of destruction.

The act of razing the city is reportedly a part of a government plan to relocate Uyghur residents from unsafe, overcrowded homes susceptible to earthquake to more modern, safer quarters. At the same time, “China supports an international plan to designate major Silk Road landmarks as United Nations' World Heritage sites – a powerful draw for tourists, and a major incentive for governments to preserve historic areas. But Kashgar is missing from the list of proposed sites.” Officials also spoke of plans to turn what remains of Kashgar into a tourist attraction.

"Here, Uighur culture is attached to those raw earth buildings. If they are torn down, the affiliated culture will be destroyed." Said Wu Dianting, a professor of regional planning at Beijing Normal University's School of Geography, who did field research in Kashgar last year. Others have called this “cultural vandalism” “stupid” and “cruel”. According to Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center, at a seminar in 2007 to assess the urban plan for the historical preservation of Kashgar experts made three recommendations: a. The urban plan should focus more on how to preserve the old town; b. The urban plan should further study the history of the old town, in relationship to its rich culture; c. The urban plan should further study how to protect both tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

SAFE joins Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center in an appeal to the Chinese government to publicize its plan for protecting historic Kashgar and its cultural heritage. It would help the general public to know what is going to be done not only to protect citizens, but also to preserve Kashgar’s the rich cultural heritage and archaeological record that has yet to be fully explored.

The demolition of the Old City is a completion of a project that was started years ago. At this point, asking for the demolition to stop might be an action taken too late, but it is not too late to ask that more care be taken in preserving what is left of Kashgar’s cultural patrimony. It is not too late to question whether a more sensitive approach can be taken. It is not too late to demand that a plan for preservation and protection be made available to the international community. After all, success was achieved in China’s request for a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States earlier this year; it is not too much to ask that China honor this achievement by doing everything it can to ensure that Old Kashgar, a beacon of Central Asian immovable cultural property, does not disappear. (Photo: Shiho Fukada for The New York Times)

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Skull Wars: A review

The following review of Skull Wars: Kennewick Man, Archeology, and the Battle for Native American Identity by David Hurst Thomas is written by Andrew Vasicek, SAFE Volunteer.

Based on the title and purported subject matter of the book, a little more detail about the Kennewick Man himself and the surrounding controversy, both legal and cultural, was expected. As it was, only a small space is dedicated to the 9000 year old skeletal remains of a prehistoric man found on a bank of the Columbia River in Kennewick, WA on July 28, 1996.

After their discovery, the remains became the newest and most visible battleground surrounding what can and should be done with such skeletons. Based on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), five Native American groups claimed the remains as theirs, to be buried by traditional means. Hoping to study the remains, the scientific community argued that the Kennewick Man had no direct connection to any modern-day native tribe, and that NAGPRA should not apply.*

This situation sparked the actual topic of Skull Wars, which could be said to be an effort to make these two opponents realize that they are not, in fact, on opposite sides of the issues that matter. Thus, rather than rehash the media and legal frenzy regarding the find, the vast majority of the book is spent mapping the history of modern anthropology and its relationship, however rocky, with Native Americans. Along the way, the author succeeds, to a large degree, in reshaping the reader's understanding of what those engaged in the study of archeology and natural history have done, are doing, and perhaps should be doing in the future. Indeed, by modern standards, much of what stood for early anthropology and archeology is, at times, appalling. It is also quite shocking to learn just how recently the modern version of this field was developed, how far it has come in a short time, and just how far it still has to go.

With this wide a view, there were times when, as a reader, one lost sight of the overall picture being painted for the sheer quantity of stories and colorful anecdotes creating the history of this relationship. However, it is this history which lends the book one of its most important features: while the book at times speaks almost directly to the "combatants," it is very much accessible to the public. It is a work which provides a horde of information, familiar to those directly involved, but to which most of the rest of us are not often exposed. Perhaps this is so because much of this history does not show "western" culture in its finest moments and is therefore often left out of the textbooks.

In this history, we are reminded of errors and misjudgments made by the American people (scientists, frontiersmen, city folk, and Native Americans alike) in our efforts to grow, learn, and position ourselves in the world. Thus, Skull Wars provides a critical service to its readership: it reminds us to always strive to improve, never to simply accept the status quo, but to always remember that what we do affects others in sometimes unexpected ways. The author also makes a powerful, yet remarkably simple observation: that in giving names to things, we can take power over them and also over how those things are understood. This is one of the central ideas underlying the whole book, as well as the Kennewick Man debate itself.

Native Americans existed in this country before modern Europeans arrived, allowing their culture and names to rule in those times. However, European culture came to dominate Native Americans in many ways. The new culture sought to appropriate and, all too often, eliminate the old. Thus, the debate began over who "owned" American history.

As is so often the case in contentious debates like this, both sides argue vehemently that they are correct - allowing no room for alternative views. Much can be lost along the wayside of such disputes as we are easily blinded by the clarity with which we see our own arguments. As these issues are also very emotional ones, feelings can further strain the situation - making us see issues in stark black and white.

That being so, the author is careful to present both sides views fairly and fully, while attempting to elucidate just what it is that makes this conflict so intense. In the end, he concludes that with respectful communication, all the invested parties can reach an acceptable middle ground and will often find that many of their goals overlap. He argues that it is possible to seek knowledge and to preserve our country's natural history while maintaining a healthy respect for traditions and the views of the people and places being studied.

If the problem is approached with this in mind, without jumping to fantastic conclusions or making attention grabbing claims, everyone can achieve a measure of success. In the end, the author seems to decide that, at its most basic level, this "skull war," reignited by the Kennewick Man, is about control and power, and not really about science, religion, or philosophy. If the scientific community and Native American groups can realize this perhaps they can begin to see ways to reach a compromise such that the "winners" won't be the only ones writing the history books.


*As of now, these remains are still legally the property of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and can be found at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington

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Export 101 for Antiquities

Over on the Yahoo AncientArtifacts forum there is a telling request for information. A small-time dealer in antiquities from North Carolina asks the list:

Back to basics if someone can help me. In regard to antiquities, which countries: Allow the free and unregulated trade in and export of antiquities? Restrict any trade in or export of antiquities? Don't seem to care so they don't address the issue with legislation? Allow regulated trade in and export of antiquities if proper paperwork is obtained? I know most countries ban export of antiquities and do these laws differentiate between pieces of major archaeological/cultural importance and minor pieces. For simplicity, I include coins as antiquities unless there are separate laws governing coins.

This would be sixty-four million dollar question I would have thought for anyone engaged in antiquity collecting, let alone commerce. So, we might ask why there seems to be no published handlist of these laws compiled by the collecting advocacy organizations as an aid to responsible trade and collection of portable antiquities, or until now a perceived need for one.

One such organization is the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild founded in 2004, whose International Affairs Committee : "2-5-1. [...] appointed by and responsible to the Executive Director, compiles and archives information about foreign laws and import/export procedures in source countries". So where is this archive and why is it is not made available to antiquity collectors as a resource?

Obviously, compiling such a resource would be relatively easy for responsible portable antiquity dealers who obtain items exported legally from the source and market countries, since they must know the laws of these individual countries to the letter to be able to abide by them. I cannot imagine that it would be otherwise.

Until then, there are however a number of resources to which the dealer and collector can refer for some of these countries, covering legislation concerning cultural property in general, not specifically that connected with export. There is for example the useful online resource on 'International Cultural Property Ownership & Export Legislation' of the International Foundation for Art Research (registration needed). UNESCO has begun to produce a 'Cultural Heritage Laws Database'.

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US Returns Ancient Ur to Iraq

On May 13, the US military hands over control of ancient Ur to Iraqi authorities. Archaeologist Abdulamir Hamdani sent these photos from the ceremony to SAFE, and indicated that "With your moral and emotional support for us, we look forward to start of implementation of cultural heritage’s projects in the city of Ur, such as: surveys, documentation, maintenance, conservation and exploration."

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