Oriental Institute Iraq Workshop

Workshop: “The Threat to Iraq’s Cultural Heritage – Current Status and Future Prospects” (July 23, 2005)

Statement read at the Workshop “The Threat to Iraq’s Cultural Heritage – Current Status and Future Prospects" (July 23, 2005)

(workshop sponsored by the Iraq Working Group of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, organized in conjunction with the 51^st Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale)

• Statement

• List of signed names

• Adding name to the list

• Discussion forum

The statement below was read by Michael Müller-Karpe, based on an earlier draft prepared for and read at the Rencontre's General Meeting on July 20, 2005. with editorial input from Clemens Reichel and Francis Deblauwe as well as others. Its was signed by 46 attendees of the workshop; as of May 3 2006, 45 more colleagues have requested for their names to be added to the list of signatures, bringing the total number of signatures up to 91. It is posted here as an item of information, not as an official policy adopted by the Oriental Institute. Scholars in the field of Assyriology and Mesopotamian Archaeology are encouraged to add their names to the list of signatures and / or to discuss this statement.

• Statement:

        As scholars in the field of Near Eastern archaeology and cuneiform studies from five continents we, the undersigned, express our deep concern about the ongoing looting of archaeological sites in Iraq.

        Beyond the fact that looting sites for artifacts constitutes theft, the destruction of archaeological contexts results in an irreversible loss of information. Since only marketable artifacts are retrieved during such clandestine operations, most other objects are destroyed, resulting in a tremendous additional loss of archaeological data.

        The present circumstances in Iraq have set the stage for the unprecedented destruction of an archaeological heritage that represents the cradle of civilization for all mankind. It is the ever-growing demand for antiquities in a worldwide market, however, that provides the incentive for looting and illegal excavation. Insufficient legislation in many countries continues to guarantee the marketability of these stolen goods.

        Countries which have not yet ratified the UNESCO conventions of 1970 and 1995 for the protection of cultural heritage are hereby urged to do so expediently and to implement and enforce effective antiquities laws. The traditional approach of limiting legal protection to items listed as “items of national importance” by their countries of origin must be replaced by a general ban on any trade in looted artifacts from illegal excavations.

        Objects from illegal excavations often gain market value through scholarly assessments of authenticity, age and significance. Discussing or referencing them in scientific studies is likely to increase their monetary value, adding more incentives for clandestine excavations and thereby contributing to the ongoing destruction of archaeological sites.

        Scholars are therefore urged to refrain from providing expertise to the antiquities market and to private collectors, unless the artifacts in question can be proven to be neither excavated illegally nor exported without permission.

• List of signed names (in alphabetical order, academic titles and affiliations as provided or known to us):

Last Name:	First Name(s):	Academic Title:	Academic Affiliation:	Country:	attended workshop:	Comments:
Anderson	Gretchen Oppmann		University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Archi	Alfonso	Prof.	Università di Roma "La Sapienza"	Italy
Anderson	Lloyd		Ecological Linguistics, Washington D.C.	U.S.A.	x	"Oppose last #"
Asher-Greve	Julia M.	Dr.	Basel	Switzerland	x
Bagg	Ariel M.	Dr.	Institut für Altorientalistik Freie Universität Berlin	Germany
Bailleul-Le Suer	Rozenn		Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Baker	Heather	Dr.	Institut für Orientalistik Universität Wien	Austria	x
Bates	Cynthia		SAFE	U.S.A.	x
Belcher	Ellen	Prof.	John Jay College of Criminal Justice/CUNY, New York	U.S.A.
Bellucci	Benedetta		Università di Pavia, Italy	Italy	x
Beuger	Claudia	Dr.	Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Berlin	Germany	x
Biggs	Robert	Prof.	Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Cavigneaux	Antoine	Prof.	Université de Genève	Switzerland
Couto	Érica		University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona	Spain	x
Deblauwe	Francis	Dr.	Universität Wien	U.S.A.	x
Feist	Bettina	Dr.	Institut für Altorientalistik, Berlin	Germany
Fuensanta	Jesús Gil	Dr.	MAET Madrid / University of Alicante	Spain	x
Garcia Ventura	Agnes		University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona	Spain	x
Galter	Hannes	Dr.	Institut für Alte Geschichte, Universität Graz	Austria
Gehlken	Erlend	Dr.	Universität Wien	Austria
Gibson	McGuire	Prof.	Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Gill	David W.J.	Dr.	Department of Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology, University of Wales, Swansea	U.K. / Wales
Gimbel	David Nelson	Dr.	Archaeos, INC. New York	U.S.A.
Greene	Joseph A.	Dr.	Harvard University	U.S.A.	x
Groneberg	Brigitte	Prof.	Universität Göttingen	Germany
Guralnick	Eleanor		Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Haase	Claus-Peter	Prof.	Museum für islamische Kunst, Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin	Germany
Hammerschlag-Lennings	Elisabeth		Universiteit Leiden	Netherlands	x
Hansen	Nicole		Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Hauptmann	Harald	Prof.	Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften	Germany
Hilgert	Markus	Dr.	Institut für Sprachen und Kulturen des Vorderen Orients, Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena	Germany	x
Holloway	Steven W.	Dr.	University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Hritz	Carrie	M.A.	Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Hrouda	Bartel	Prof.	Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Munich	Germany
Jones	Charles E.		American School of Classical Studies, Athens; Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	Greece
Kalla	Gabor	Dr.	Institut for Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Lorand University, Budapest	Hungary
Kilmer	Anne D.	Prof.	University of California, Berkeley / Arizona Senior Academy, Tucson	U.S.A.	x
Kolinski	Rafal	Prof.	Institute of Prehistory, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan	Poland
Koslova	Natalia	M.A.	Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg	Russia	x
Krebernick	Manfred	Prof.	Institut für Sprachen und Kulturen des Vorderen Orients, Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena	Germany
Larsen	Mogens Trolle	Prof.	University of Copenhagen	Denmark
Lau	Daniel	M.A.	Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster	Germany
Lenzi	Alan	Dr.	Brandeis University	U.S.A.	x	"Last # problematic"
Lippolis	Carlo	Dr.	Università di Torino	Italy	x
Macgregor	Sherry		University of California, Berkeley	U.S.A.	x
Mazzoni	Stefania	Prof.	Università di Pisa	Italy
Martin	Elizabeth		Chicago	U.S.A.	x
McMahon	Augusta	Dr.	Faculty of Oriental Studies, Cambridge University	U.K.
Messina	Vito	Dr.	Università di Torino	Italy
Müller-Karpe	Andreas	Prof.	Universtät Marburg	Germany
Müller-Karpe	Michael	Dr.	Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz	Germany	x
Osthoff	Susanne	M.A.		Iraq
Müller-Karpe	Vuslat		Universtät Marburg	Germany
Nissen	Hans J.	Prof.	Seminar für Vorderasiatische Altertumskunde, Freie Universität Berlin	Germany
Novak	Mirko	Dr.	Altorientalisches Seminar, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen	Germany
Pedersén	Olof	Prof.	University of Uppsala	Sweden	x
Postgate	John Nicholas	Prof.	Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge	U.K.
Proust	Christine		CNRS, Paris	France	x
Reid	Stephanie		Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Reichel	Clemens	Dr.	Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Richardson	Seth	Prof.	Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Robson	Eleanor	Dr.	Cambridge University	U.K.	x
Russell	John M.	Prof.	Massachusetts College of Art	U.S.A.
Sanders	John C.		Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Schaudig	Hanspeter	Dr.	Universität Heidelberg	Germany	x
Schipper	Friedrich	M.A.	University of Vienna	Austria
Selz	Gebhard J.	Prof.	Institut für Orientalistik, Universität Wien	Austria
Sieda	Abdulbaset		University of Uppsala	Sweden	x
Sjöberg	Åke	Prof.	University of Uppsala	Sweden	x
Skou	Anne		Eberhard-Karls Universität, Tübingen	Germany	x
Slanski	Kathryn	Dr.	Yale University	U.S.A.	x
Sommerfeld	Walter	Prof.	Universität Marburg	Germany
Stein	Gil	Prof.	Director, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.
Swirsky	Cipora		Tel-Aviv University	Israel	x
Terras	Karen		Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Thuesen	Ingolf	Prof.	Carsten Niebuhr Institute, University of Copenhagen	Denmark
Trümpler	Charlotte	Dr.	Ruhrlandmuseum Essen	Germany
Thurman	Rebecca		Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Ur	Jason	Dr.	Dept. of Anthropology, Harvard University	U.S.A.
Winter	Irene	Prof.	Harvard University	U.S.A.	x
Van Wissink	Margaret		Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Waetzoldt	Hartmut	Prof.	Seminar für Sprachen und Kulturen des Vorderen Orients - Assyriologie, Universität Heidelberg	Germany
Watanabe	Chikako E.	Dr.	Osaka Gakuin Junior College	Japan	x
Widell	Magnus	Dr.	Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Winkler-Franke	Hildegard	Dr.	Berlin	Germany
Witczak	Monica		Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Witsell	Alexandra		Oriental Institute, University of Chicago	U.S.A.	x
Yardenna	Regev		Tel-Aviv University	Israel	x
Youkhanna	Donny George	Dr.	Director General, Iraqi Museums, Baghdad	Iraq
Zgoll	Annette	Dr.	Altorientalisches Institut der Universität Leipzig	Germany

• Adding your name to this list:

Send an email to Clemens Reichel (cdreiche@midway.uchicago.edu). Include your full name and academic affiliation. Also state if you have attended the workshop.

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• Discussion Forum:

Charles Jones, moderator of the Oriental Institute's IraqCrisis list, has agreed to host a discussion of the statement above. In order to participate in the discussion you need to subscribe to the list. All viewpoints are welcome; keep in mind, however, that IraqCrisis is a moderated list--keep your tone civil, your arguments to the point, and refrain from personal attacks.

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created: July 27, 2005
revised: June 6, 2006

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