5th August 2008, 10:30 AM
I did read it.. and the story quotes John Curtis (the BM curator of Middle Eastern dept as saying)
"he admitted he had been ?very surprised? by the team?s findings and cautioned that, while the survey covered the most important sites in an area equal to one-fifth of the country, it might not be representative. ?It may not be typical of the country as a whole, and the situation could well be worse further north,? he warned."
Which is not the same as saying there is no looting... it does however say that 8 sites that were visited have not been looted to the extent expected.... which is cause for celebration .. unless of course the person writing about it (from a desk in Poland) knows more than a BM curator who went to the actual sites.
To deny the damage and looting is mad.. but to say that southern Iraq looks better than the rest of the country .. every so often a bit of good news is welcome...
For terrible news (and there is plenty of that... read these sites..
http://www.archaeology.org/iraq/
and
http://www.savingantiquities.org/index.php
(SAVE is one of those groups that you can't but support..
)
They have a fascinating report here :
http://www.savingantiquities.org/feature...atureID=11
Patterns of looting in southern Iraq
This is interesting, as it compares satellite images to check before and after on sites in southern Iraq, but you have to note that the report does seem to show looting occurred after the invasion, during a period of chaos.. into 2005/6 the latest mission, led by the British Museum, shows that looting (at least in the 8 sites visited) has stopped. hat is not to say the sites were not looted - they make mention of old looting holes.. it is saying they are not being looted any more.
I have a great love for Iraq (and the Middle East) so I am more than happy that sites are becoming safer... don't even get me started on the use of monuments as military bases or insurgents using them as mortar emplacements, because they hoped that the coalition would not be able to fire back... or the destruction and bombing of architectural gems... I am still worried about the Arch of Ctesiphon
http://www.globalheritagefund.org/where/iraq.html
Its a complex situation, and should not be reduced to a simplistic obsessional rage...
"
"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers
"he admitted he had been ?very surprised? by the team?s findings and cautioned that, while the survey covered the most important sites in an area equal to one-fifth of the country, it might not be representative. ?It may not be typical of the country as a whole, and the situation could well be worse further north,? he warned."
Which is not the same as saying there is no looting... it does however say that 8 sites that were visited have not been looted to the extent expected.... which is cause for celebration .. unless of course the person writing about it (from a desk in Poland) knows more than a BM curator who went to the actual sites.
To deny the damage and looting is mad.. but to say that southern Iraq looks better than the rest of the country .. every so often a bit of good news is welcome...
For terrible news (and there is plenty of that... read these sites..
http://www.archaeology.org/iraq/
and
http://www.savingantiquities.org/index.php
(SAVE is one of those groups that you can't but support..
)They have a fascinating report here :
http://www.savingantiquities.org/feature...atureID=11
Patterns of looting in southern Iraq
This is interesting, as it compares satellite images to check before and after on sites in southern Iraq, but you have to note that the report does seem to show looting occurred after the invasion, during a period of chaos.. into 2005/6 the latest mission, led by the British Museum, shows that looting (at least in the 8 sites visited) has stopped. hat is not to say the sites were not looted - they make mention of old looting holes.. it is saying they are not being looted any more.
I have a great love for Iraq (and the Middle East) so I am more than happy that sites are becoming safer... don't even get me started on the use of monuments as military bases or insurgents using them as mortar emplacements, because they hoped that the coalition would not be able to fire back... or the destruction and bombing of architectural gems... I am still worried about the Arch of Ctesiphon
http://www.globalheritagefund.org/where/iraq.html
Its a complex situation, and should not be reduced to a simplistic obsessional rage...
"
"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers