From: ane-digest-owner@oi.uchicago.edu To: ane-digest@oi.uchicago.edu Subject: Ancient Near East Digest V2 #12 Reply-To: ane@oi.uchicago.edu Errors-To: ane-digest-owner@oi.uchicago.edu Precedence: bulk Ancient Near East Digest Wednesday, 21 September 1994 Volume 02 : Number 012 In this issue: a "licit" trade AJA Jordan/Israel please help. Searching for e-texts of papyri. Louis Zabkar ethnic-geographical adjectives Arabic New West Semitic Inscriptions Mesopotamian Directory Re: Mesopotamian Directory Re: Mesopotamian Directory (fwd) Gibert and Bauval - Pyramids etc. re: Mesopotamian directory asor meetings session Ancient Beirut vs Beirut development Ancient Beirut vs Beirut development Re: Gilbert&Bauval: pyramids Re: Ancient Beirut vs Beirut development Re: Ancient Beirut vs Beirut development Re: Looting matters See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the ANE or ANE-Digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: vitellik (by way of cejo@midway.uchicago.edu (Charles E. Jones)) Date: Fri, 16 Sep 94 10:34:49 CDT Subject: a "licit" trade On Sept. 27-30 an international law conference in Vienna will be discussing the desireability of establishing a LICIT (=legal and desireable) international trade in cultural property, including antiquities. The organizer, J. Merryman, Sweitzer Prof. Stanford Law School, argues that removing the export bans on at least some antiquities will, by satisfying some of the legitimate demand, serve to better protect archaeological sites from looting. Does anyone know of information showing that countries (other than the US) that allow some legal export of antiquities (e.g., Israel), in fact suffer fewer problems with looting than countries such as Greece, that prohibit all export? Details, preferably published but I'll be grateful for anecdotal as well, most appreciated. ASAP. Kaddee Vitelli Vitellik@ucs.indiana.edu ------------------------------ From: umw8f@maxwell.acc.virginia.edu Date: Fri, 16 Sep 1994 17:41:18 -0400 Subject: AJA Jordan/Israel Those on the list who do not regularly read the American Journal of Archaeology may be interested in the current issue's extensive summary of recent excavations in Jordan and Israel. Cheers Constanze - -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Constanze Witt McIntire Department of Art Fayerweather Hall University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA 22903 (804) 924-6123 umw8f@maxwell.acc.virginia.edu ------------------------------ From: EEROO@delphi.com Date: Sat, 17 Sep 1994 18:46:22 -0400 (EDT) Subject: please help. Searching for e-texts of papyri. Hello. My name is Stephen E. Cobb, and I am not a scientist, but a writer. My next novel is set in ancient Memphis (Men-nofer) and in my striving for accuracy I've been trying to locate English translations of ancient Egyptian papyri. My reference books are good, but they only include the barest snippets of translated texts. My goal is to learn something of ancient Egyptian colloquialisms, pick up some of their social attitudes, perhaps even get a feel for their sentence structure. During the last four weeks I've tried every avenue and resource that I can think of, and have now come completely to the end of my rope. This is especially perplexing for me because I consider myself quite adept at using VERONICA, Gopher and the Anonymous FTP. Yet, so far, I have found only one text: The Papyrus of Ani--The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Translated by E.A. Wallis Budge). Granted, it's a beautiful document; I enjoyed reading it very much, and learned a great deal in the process, but I feel certain that there must be more E-texts available somewhere on the Internet. That's why I'm posting this. Please, if you know of any archive of English translations of Egyptian papyri that can be reached via FTP or VERONICA or Gopher or any internet protocol, please let me know by e-mail. Your information need not be complete. If you know the archive host name, but are unsure about the directory, I don't mind poking around and looking through the contents of them all. I am patient and determined. Also, if you know of someone else, perhaps a colleague, who might be able to help me in my search, please ask them for specific information about archives I can try, or just forward a copy of this message to them. An afterthought: If you happen to posses any English translations of Egyptian texts yourself, and are able to e-mail them directly to me (and if it's not too inconvenient) then please do send them. I will appreciate any help you can give me... in any form. Thank you very much. Oh, just on the outside chance that you have access to some kind of exhaustive directory of the location of electronic texts around the world, the ones I would most especially like to learn the locations of are: The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus Ebers Medical Papyrus The Protests of the Eloquent Peasant The Admonitions of Ipuwer The two medical papyri would be especially useful because my main character is a Physician. The other two would be useful because they date from the period in which my novel is set: the tumultuous time between the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Once again, I thank you. ======================================================================== Stephen E. Cobb eeroo@delphi.com Aiken, South Carolina U.S.A ======================================================================== ------------------------------ From: "Leonard H. Lesko" Date: Mon, 19 Sep 94 10:29:42 EDT Subject: Louis Zabkar After a long illness Prof. Louis Vico Zabkar died on September 15, 1994. Born in 1914 in Dalmatia, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1958 and taught in the History Department of Loyola University in Chicago before becoming Professor of Egyptology at Brandeis University where he served until his retirement ten years ago. He will be remembered as an outstanding teacher by his many students and as one of the few American Egyptologists of his generation with interests in Egyptian religion, Ptolemaic hieroglyphs, and Nubian studies. Leonard H. Lesko Dept. of Egyptology Brown University LLesko@Brownvm.Brown.edu ------------------------------ From: Shaye Cohen (by way of cejo@midway.uchicago.edu (Charles E. Jones)) Date: Mon, 19 Sep 94 10:38:14 CDT Subject: ethnic-geographical adjectives I am currently working on a history of the word _IOUDAIOS_ and its meanings. I would be grateful for any assistance in answering the following question. Were ethnic-geographic adjectives and nouns (e.g. Aiguptios, Kappadox, Suros, etc.) ever used with sole reference to the geographical meaning and with no reference to the ethnic or political meaning? W. Peremans, _L'antiquite classique_ 50 (1981) 633, writes: "le terme Aiguptioi peut designer soit des Egyptiens de race ... soit des personnnes qui habitent l'Egypte, sans etre Egyptien d'origine." Peremans cites Polybius 27.9.12, the story of the boxer Cleitomachus of Thebes who was almost bested at the Olympic games by his opponent Aristonicus, an athlete supported by Ptolemy of Egypt. Cleitomachus sways the crowd against his opponent: "Would they prefer to see an Egyptian (Aiguption) conquer the Greeks and win the Olympian crown, or to hear a Theban and Boeotian proclaimed by the herald as victor?" (trans. Paton in the Loeb edition). Aristonicus, of course, was not an Egyptian; he was a Greek from Egypt. But this example does not entirely support Peremans' point because Aiguptios here is not free of ethnic overtones. Cleitomachus pretends that his opponent is an Egyptian, for Egyptians were widely despised. Cf. Walbank, Commentary, ad loc. Was _Aiguptios_ ever used simply in the sense "from Egypt," and not "Egyptian"? If you wanted to indicate geographical origins without saying anything about ethnic origins you would use _-ikos_ (Latin _- icus_). Thus, for example, in the Histories Tacitus refers to Iudaicus exercitus ("the army in Judaea," not "the army of Judaeans") and Syriacae legiones ("the legions in Syria," not "the legions of Syrians"), etc. But as far as I have been able to determine, -ikos (-icus) adjectives were not used to indicate the geographical origins of named, individual people. (Calling an emperor Germanicus or Dacicus did not imply that the emperor was from Germany or Dacia!) Any references or suggestions would be appreciated. Shaye Cohen Shaye J.D. Cohen Bitnet: SCOHEN@BROWNVM Internet: SCOHEN@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU Brown University Box 1826 Providence, RI 02912 Office phone: (401) 863-3911 FAX: (401) 863-3938 ------------------------------ From: Eugene Cruz-Uribe Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 09:40:00 -0700 (MST) Subject: Arabic 9/19/94 I want to thank all of you who have responded to my queries in the past. Your info has been most useful. I am looking for language tapes for Arabic with a Cairene/Egyptian dialect. Most of the ones I have encountered have been with a Saudi or Pakistani dialect. Thanks for your help Eugene Cruz-Uribe Asst Dean Social & Behaviroal Sciences Northern Arizona University gdc@nauvax.ucc.nau.edu ------------------------------ From: cejo@midway.uchicago.edu (Charles E. Jones) Date: Mon, 19 Sep 94 12:02:35 CDT Subject: New West Semitic Inscriptions Three recent books: Deutsch, R.; Heltzer, M. Forty New Ancient West Semitic Inscriptions. Jaffa: Archaeological Center; 1994. 1 volume (100 pages [including 80 illustrations]). ISBN: 965-222-511-8. Theeb, Solaiman Abdal-Rahman al-. Analytical Essays on the Ancient Aramaic Writings from Tayma. Riyadh: King Fahd National Library; 1993. 1 volume (191 pages [illustrated]). Note: Text in Arabic. Theeb, Solaiman Abdal-Rahman al-. Aramaic and Nabatean Inscriptions from North-West Saudi Arabia. Riyadh: King Fahd National Library; 1993. 1 volume (xv + 352 pages [illustrated]). ISBN: 9960-00-001-X. Publication of the author's 1989 University of Durham dissertation. - -Chuck- ------------------------------ From: Steve Thompson Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 12:38:57 EDT Subject: Mesopotamian Directory In 1987, a directory ("Mesopotamian Directory") of scholars of Mesopotamia was published out of Chicago. Does anyone know if this has been updated, if so, when, and how would I go about obtaining the most recent edition. Any help will be most greatly appreciated. Yours truly, Steve Thompson Dept. of Egyptology Brown Univ. stepthom@brownvm.brown.edu ------------------------------ From: "Robert Biggs" Date: 20 Sep 1994 12:53:11 U Subject: Re: Mesopotamian Directory Reply to: RE>Mesopotamian Directory The Mesopotamian Directory was edited by John A. Brinkman of the Oriental Institute. The latest edition was February 1993. I don't know if he is planning a new edition soon or not. He is out of town this week, but you can reach him next week (j-brinkman@uchicago.edu). - -------------------------------------- Date: 9/20/94 12:06 PM To: Robert Biggs From: Steve Thompson In 1987, a directory ("Mesopotamian Directory") of scholars of Mesopotamia was published out of Chicago. Does anyone know if this has been updated, if so, when, and how would I go about obtaining the most recent edition. Any help will be most greatly appreciated. Yours truly, Steve Thompson Dept. of Egyptology Brown Univ. stepthom@brownvm.brown.edu - ------------------ RFC822 Header Follows ------------------ Received: by memphis-orinst.uchicago.edu with SMTP;20 Sep 1994 12:06:47 U Received: by prism.uchicago.edu for Thomas_Urban.ORINST@memphis-orinst.uchicago.edu AA14147; Tue, 20 Sep 94 11:57:35 CDT Received: from midway.uchicago.edu by prism.uchicago.edu for t-urban AA14140; Tue, 20 Sep 94 11:57:32 CDT Received: from mithra-orinst.uchicago.edu by midway.uchicago.edu for m-berger1@uchicago.edu Tue, 20 Sep 94 11:59:03 CDT Received: by mithra-orinst.uchicago.edu (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA22251; Tue, 20 Sep 94 11:59:54 CDT Received: from UCHIMVS1.UCHICAGO.EDU by mithra-orinst.uchicago.edu (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA22244; Tue, 20 Sep 94 11:59:47 CDT Message-Id: <9409201659.AA22244@mithra-orinst.uchicago.edu> Received: from UCHIMVS1.BITNET by UCHIMVS1.UCHICAGO.EDU (IBM MVS SMTP V2R2.1) with BSMTP id 9781; Tue, 20 Sep 94 11:57:50 CDT Received: (from BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU for via BSMTP) Received: (from MAILER@BROWNVM for MAILER@UCHIMVS1 via NJE) (UCLA/Mail V1.500 M-RSCS1402-1402-22); Tue, 20 Sep 94 11:56:48 CST Received: from BROWNVM (NJE origin STEPTHOM@BROWNVM) by BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 0372; Tue, 20 Sep 1994 12:42:07 -0400 Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 12:38:57 EDT X-Ph: V3.6.1@prism From: Steve Thompson Subject: Mesopotamian Directory To: ANE Sender: ane-owner@mithra-orinst.uchicago.edu Precedence: bulk ------------------------------ From: Ted Lewis Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 14:00:18 EDT Subject: Re: Mesopotamian Directory (fwd) The 1989 version of the Mesopotamian Directory that I have says to contact John Brinkman at the Oriental Institute for a copy ($3.50 in 1989). The directory was also available in a Mac Microsoft Word format. Perhaps Chuck can update us further. Ted Lewis Univ. of Georgia ------------------------------ From: david@drspc.demon.co.uk (David Skinner) Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 19:10:04 GMT Subject: Gibert and Bauval - Pyramids etc. I'm not an Egyptologist - I've just been there a few times and am fascinated by it all. Recently I saw a repeat of a BBC (UK) television programme about the theories put forward by Bauval & Gilbert about the positions and functions of the Pyramids and their relation to the stars (esp. Orion). Being interested in astronomy I would rather like to do the working out for myself and draw my own conclusions but for that I need *accurate* positional (lat & long) data for the Giza pyramids and other monuments from the same era (4th Dynasty?) Is there a site on the Net that might hold such data? Or are either of these two people on the Net? Incidentally, what is the general feeling about these theories? The TV programme was quite convincing but I've heard so much rubbish talked about pyramids that it's difficult to take any new idea seriously without a lot of evidence! Thanks in advance. - -- David Skinner david@drspc.demon.co.uk =========================================================== Reality.sys corrupted. Universe halted. Reboot(Y/N) ? =========================================================== ------------------------------ From: cejo@midway.uchicago.edu (Charles E. Jones) Date: Tue, 20 Sep 94 13:31:10 CDT Subject: re: Mesopotamian directory Editions of the Mesopotamian Directory issued by John A Brinkman have appeared in Ferbruary of 1987, 1989, 1991, and 1993. The next issue is expected to appear in February 1995. We expect to have an FTP/WWW version of the current list available shortly. - -Chuck- ------------------------------ From: Jane C Waldbaum Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 21:08:17 -0500 (CDT) Subject: asor meetings session Colleagues, Ellen Herscher has sent me the following announcement of a session to be presented at the ASOR meetings in Chicago this November: ASOR Annual Meeting 1994 Program Unit: Preservation of Archaeological Resources Title: Scholarly Use of Material Without Provenience Presented by CAP Subcommittee on Preservation of Archaeological Resources Sunday, November 20, 1994, 7:30-10:00 p.m. Chicago Hilton and Towers C-Buckingham Chair: Ellen Herscher Introduction: Ellen Herscher (10 minutes) 1. The Dead Sea Scrolls and Their Context: Implications for Interpretation (10 minutes) Eugene Ulrich, Univ. of Notre Dame Questions (10 min) 2. Scholarship and Museum Collections (20 min,) Jonathan Tubb, British Museum Questions (10 min) 3. Scholarship and Looting in Iran (15 min.) Abbas Alizadeh, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago Questions (10 min.) 4. The Policies of the Archaeological Institute of America and Their Practical Application (15 min.) Karen D. Vitelli, Indiana University Questions (10 min.) General Discussion (40 min.) Program Description: Archaeologists and other scholars universally condemn the practice of looting archaeological sites, principally because of the resulting loss of information. The scholarly community, however, has long been more ambivalent about the proper treatment of the artifactual material produced by looting, once it has come to rest in private collections. Indeed, the study of material in collections, even that without legitimate scientific provenience, has a lo0ng and respected tradition. In the past twenty years, however, some archaeologists have begun to question this approach. As a result several archaeological professional organizations have adopted policies governing the scholarly treatment of material without provenience. For example, the Archaeological Institute of America, a leader in this development, has established standards for what can be presented in a paper at its annyal meeting or published in its periodical, the American Journal of Archaeology. It also prohibits advertisements for the sale of antiquities in its popular magazine, Archaeology. The rationale for such policies is the recognition that scholarly presentation and publication enhance the monetary value of the artifacts in question, thus helping to stimulate the market and encourage more looting. It is also argued that any study of such material is of dubious value, since in many cases even the authenticity of the objects is open to question (for examaple, the famous Getty kouros). Others, on the other hand, assert that it is important for scholars to recover whatever actual historical and archaeological information such artifacts inherently retain in spite of the circumstances of their acquisition. The objective of this session is to encourage an active discussion of these broad issues in order to formulate what policy ASOR ought to establish for its own meetings and publications. Transmitted by Jane C. Waldbaum jcw@csd.uwm.edu ------------------------------ From: e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no (Elie Wardini) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 11:37:50 +0200 Subject: Ancient Beirut vs Beirut development World Heritage Committee contact: World Heitage Center c/o UNESCO 7 Place de Fontenoy, F-75352 Paris, 07 SP France tel. (33 1) 45 66 40 67 =46ax (33 1) 40 65 98 97 Dear madame/ sir, Following is a letter that I have sent to the Minister of Culture and Higher education in Lebanon. Mr. Michel Edde. Mr. Edde has shown a lot of interest in preserving the Lebanese cultural heritage. Yet as I see it now, the situation is difficult since there is a strong conflict of interest between a desire to rebuild and a desire to preserve the heritage. The Beirut center project is a multi million dollar project and member sof the Lebanese government are deeply involved. This makes the case a touchy one, since rebuilding Beirut center has been made into a symbol, especially after the well orchestrated Feyrouz concert that sentimentally marked the start of rebuilding Lebanon starting with Beirut. I believe nevertheless that a compromise is possible. The Beirut project could be posponed until archeologists get a chance to survey and dig the site. It is my sincere desire that with your help, and with the help of scholars arround the world, a compromise could be achieved concerning the archeological sites in Beirut center. Mr. Edde's faxnumber is: +961-1-423432 (Beirut) Sincerely, Elie Wardini *********************** letter inserted here: Mr. Michel Edde Minister of Culture and Higher Education Beirut 16.9.1994 Dear Sir, I write to you concerning the reconstruction of Beirut Centre and its impact on the archeological sites that this area represents. I would like first of all to congratulate you on your active interest in preserving the heritage of Lebanon. I agree with you fully when you say: "A people without a memory are a people without a future." I hope that you will continue your efforts in preserving the ancient heritage of Lebanon also as represented by its archeological sites. In this context, one can not stress enough the value of Beirut Centre as an archeological site. Note what Prof. E. Lipinski - of the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium - says: "Le Pseudo-Skylax mentionne, au IVe siecle av. J.C., son port 'ouvert vers le nord', Borinos, et devoile ainsi l'emplacement de la cite antique que l'on doit point chercher sur le Raas Beyrouth, a l'extremite occidentale de la ville moderne, mais autour du port". I can provide you with a copy of the article. I would also urge you to take note of the following articles: "Maps and the Historical Topography of Beirut" by Michael F. Davie and "L'Habitat de Bayrut al-Qadimat" by May Davie and Levon Nordiguian both of which are in Berytus vol. 35, 1987 pp.141-164 and pp.165-197 respectively. These articles - see especially the maps that correspond nearly 100% to the maps of reconstruction - together with historical data as well as earlier and newer archeological digs in Beirut provide further evidence that the site now cleared for reconstruction is the site of ancient Beirut. There are other articles on archeology in Lebanon in the same number of Berytus that are very worrying. Note also the article by Bill Ward in June's issue of Biblical Archaeologist: "Archaeology in Lebanon in the Twentieth Century" BA 57:2(1994):66-85. I am fully conscience of the fact that you are aware of these problems. You have promised to stop construction whenever any find is reported. You have even promised to provide inspectors to report such findings as well as to follow up such finds and if necessary alter construction plans. I feel nevertheless that a new plan should be implemented for the preservation of ancient Beirut, at least until scholars have had a chance of studying it. We already know, due to accumulated evidence, that the site for reconstruction is the site of ancient Beirut. Since this region is so important for Lebanese as well as regional studies, it would only be logical to let Beirut get a proper treatment from an archeological perspective. Rarely does such an ancient site get the chance that Beirut has today. Continually inhabited cities pose major difficulties for archeologists. Today, cleared from modern buildings, ancient Beirut is ready to reveal its secrets. In the context of intricate archeological work I only shudder at the thought of what bulldozer archeology will yield. I am in no way against the reconstruction of Beirut. Beirut is the capital of Lebanon and deserves to be rebuilt in all its beauty after years of violent destruction. Yet the way we build our houses and cities reflect the way we want to build our societies. Do we want, in the name of development and reconstruct, to build a society that forsakes and even destroys its past, its history, its roots? My dear sir, I do not want to be in your shoes. Your task as responsible for the Culture and Heritage of Lebanon is not a simple one. There are many conflicting interests at stake. I am nevertheless sure that in you will do what is correct for Lebanon, and not least for our beloved Beirut. Elie Wardini Department for East-European and Oriental Studies Semitic languages Post Box 1030 Blindern 0315 Oslo Norway tel. off.: +47 - 22 85 71 21 fax: +47 - 22 85 41 40 e-mail: e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no ------------------------------ From: e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no (Elie Wardini) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 11:41:36 +0200 Subject: Ancient Beirut vs Beirut development World Heritage Committee contact: World Heitage Center c/o UNESCO 7 Place de Fontenoy, F-75352 Paris, 07 SP France tel. (33 1) 45 66 40 67 =46ax (33 1) 40 65 98 97 Dear madame/ sir, Following is a letter that I have sent to the Minister of Culture and Higher education in Lebanon. Mr. Michel Edde. Mr. Edde has shown a lot of interest in preserving the Lebanese cultural heritage. Yet as I see it now, the situation is difficult since there is a strong conflict of interest between a desire to rebuild and a desire to preserve the heritage. The Beirut center project is a multi million dollar project and member sof the Lebanese government are deeply involved. This makes the case a touchy one, since rebuilding Beirut center has been made into a symbol, especially after the well orchestrated Feyrouz concert that sentimentally marked the start of rebuilding Lebanon starting with Beirut. I believe nevertheless that a compromise is possible. The Beirut project could be posponed until archeologists get a chance to survey and dig the site. It is my sincere desire that with your help, and with the help of scholars arround the world, a compromise could be achieved concerning the archeological sites in Beirut center. Mr. Edde's faxnumber is: +961-1-423432 (Beirut) Sincerely, Elie Wardini *********************** letter inserted here: Mr. Michel Edde Minister of Culture and Higher Education Beirut 16.9.1994 Dear Sir, I write to you concerning the reconstruction of Beirut Centre and its impact on the archeological sites that this area represents. I would like first of all to congratulate you on your active interest in preserving the heritage of Lebanon. I agree with you fully when you say: "A people without a memory are a people without a future." I hope that you will continue your efforts in preserving the ancient heritage of Lebanon also as represented by its archeological sites. In this context, one can not stress enough the value of Beirut Centre as an archeological site. Note what Prof. E. Lipinski - of the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium - says: "Le Pseudo-Skylax mentionne, au IVe siecle av. J.C., son port 'ouvert vers le nord', Borinos, et devoile ainsi l'emplacement de la cite antique que l'on doit point chercher sur le Raas Beyrouth, a l'extremite occidentale de la ville moderne, mais autour du port". I can provide you with a copy of the article. I would also urge you to take note of the following articles: "Maps and the Historical Topography of Beirut" by Michael F. Davie and "L'Habitat de Bayrut al-Qadimat" by May Davie and Levon Nordiguian both of which are in Berytus vol. 35, 1987 pp.141-164 and pp.165-197 respectively. These articles - see especially the maps that correspond nearly 100% to the maps of reconstruction - together with historical data as well as earlier and newer archeological digs in Beirut provide further evidence that the site now cleared for reconstruction is the site of ancient Beirut. There are other articles on archeology in Lebanon in the same number of Berytus that are very worrying. Note also the article by Bill Ward in June's issue of Biblical Archaeologist: "Archaeology in Lebanon in the Twentieth Century" BA 57:2(1994):66-85. I am fully conscience of the fact that you are aware of these problems. You have promised to stop construction whenever any find is reported. You have even promised to provide inspectors to report such findings as well as to follow up such finds and if necessary alter construction plans. I feel nevertheless that a new plan should be implemented for the preservation of ancient Beirut, at least until scholars have had a chance of studying it. We already know, due to accumulated evidence, that the site for reconstruction is the site of ancient Beirut. Since this region is so important for Lebanese as well as regional studies, it would only be logical to let Beirut get a proper treatment from an archeological perspective. Rarely does such an ancient site get the chance that Beirut has today. Continually inhabited cities pose major difficulties for archeologists. Today, cleared from modern buildings, ancient Beirut is ready to reveal its secrets. In the context of intricate archeological work I only shudder at the thought of what bulldozer archeology will yield. I am in no way against the reconstruction of Beirut. Beirut is the capital of Lebanon and deserves to be rebuilt in all its beauty after years of violent destruction. Yet the way we build our houses and cities reflect the way we want to build our societies. Do we want, in the name of development and reconstruct, to build a society that forsakes and even destroys its past, its history, its roots? My dear sir, I do not want to be in your shoes. Your task as responsible for the Culture and Heritage of Lebanon is not a simple one. There are many conflicting interests at stake. I am nevertheless sure that in you will do what is correct for Lebanon, and not least for our beloved Beirut. Elie Wardini Department for East-European and Oriental Studies Semitic languages Post Box 1030 Blindern 0315 Oslo Norway tel. off.: +47 - 22 85 71 21 fax: +47 - 22 85 41 40 e-mail: e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no ------------------------------ From: griffox@vax.ox.ac.uk Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 11:53:09 +0100 Subject: Re: Gilbert&Bauval: pyramids At the risk of being accused of blowing one's own trumpet, the positions of the pyramids in the Memphite area can be worked out with sufficient precision from the maps in John Baines and Jaromir Malek, Atlas of Ancient Egypt (Oxford, etc.: 1980, etc.). It is a pity that "orthodox" Egyptology has not been more decisive in dealing with Bauval & Gilbert theories. I have now written a review article which tackles the main problems outlined in "The Orion Mystery", in particular the reasons for the geographical distribution of the pyramids in the Memphite area, and it should appear in "Discussions in Egypotology" 30 in October. Jaromir Malek ------------------------------ From: HHC@ivip.frw.uva.nl Date: 21 Sep 94 15:00:08 MET-1 Subject: Re: Ancient Beirut vs Beirut development Hi, when I entered the ANE list again after my return from downtown Beirut I was surprised to read the letters of concern to Michel Edde, minister of Culture and Higher Education in Lebanon. I can imagine the concern of everybody involved in the research of the Near East. The text below I have send to Elie Wardini, but I imagine that it would be of interest to know about the archeological work in Beirut to the other people on the list as well. > As far as I know are all authorities involved in the > reconstruction of downtown Beirut encouraging archeological research. > As the leader of a mission in charge of Bey 008 I must also stress > that the use of draglines and loaders should not be a horrifying > idea. The use of these machines is common practice in archeological > fieldwork in many parts of the world. Without these machines we would > not have been able to expose 2000 square meter of Ancient Beirut. > > In the exposure of 2000 sqm. we were able to trace the remains of a > quarrying site, semi-subterranean houses, a 6th millennium urban > villa, street, and part of a second villa, and the remains of the 11th > century city wall. > > Throughout the excavated sequence it became clear thet every > recponstruction of Berytus has resulted in the destruction of earlier > material. The intentions of the present developpers are clearly > defined: exposure of all ancient remains before the development > starts, evaluation of the exposed remains and integration of valuable > remains into the future architectural plans. > > If we agree on the fact that `archeology is systematic destruction' > we have to admit that by excavating ancient Beirut, the archeologists > are the destructors. The `treaty of Malta' says the developer of a > piece of land with archeological potential should allow and > contribute to the archeological research. All authroities and > companies involved in the reconstruction of downtown Beirut respect > these guidelines. > > Hans H. Curvers > IPP, University of Amsterdam > e-mail: hhc@ivip.frw.uva.nl ------------------------------ From: e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no (Elie Wardini) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 15:15:49 +0200 Subject: Re: Ancient Beirut vs Beirut development >Hans H. Curvers >IPP, University of Amsterdam >e-mail: hhc@ivip.frw.uva.nl I am happy to hear what you say. This is what Mr. Edde has said (as I have quoted him). I have not had direct contacts with the authorities when I was in Beirut, yet from what I gather, archeologists were given til the end of the present season "finish up". I was also surprised when I came to the sites (rather lte since the sites were already recovered with dirt) in the town centre that there was so little done. I may be wrong. The ironic of the company forman saying "nothing was found" sent a chill down my spine. I am convinced of Mr. Edde's genuine concern, as I have duely noted, but I am not convinced of the genuine concern of company officials. They know that their project is quite controversial, and having invested so much money in it, they will want to go on with their plans and not let archeology stand in their way. It is maybe because I am not an archeologist, but my question is this: when we "know" that ancient Berytus lie in the cleared area, why not use this opportunity to excavate? Properly. If bulldozers are necessesary for excavations, good use them. Yes Beirut should be rebuilt, but not at any prize. Archeology is destruction, yes I acccept it, but why not gain the knowledge before we destroy? You can correct me, even if I am very concerned, I am not stubborn. Elie Wardini ------------------------------ From: "Wright James C" (by way of cejo@midway.uchicago.edu (Charles E. Jones)) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 94 11:53:26 CDT Subject: Re: Looting matters Reposted from Aegeanet Reply to D. Gill Is the Loan Project of the Michael Carlos Museum, directed by Maxwell Anderson, something of which we should approve? 21% of the items displayed were unprovenanced, among them many coins. Why are coins so often thought to be permissible for trade and display? See the revealing article in Vanity Fair, April 1994 by Bryan Burrough entitled "Raider of the Lost Art", which is a profoundly disturbing portrait of Bruce McNall and Robert Hecht. Jewellery also often seems to fall into this category, too. Certainly Michael Ward seemed to think that small baubles could be put on the market without attracting much attention. Instead they have caused a huge problem. Now that they have been given to the Society for the Preservaton of the Greek Heritage, a group that has no experience in curating and displaying artifacts, the society is finding it difficult to meet its obligations to display the jewelry. It does not even have a clear idea of what kind of message it should send about the jewelry, since it is only alleged to have been stolen. I would like to see the society display the items in an exhibit that was entirely focused on the antiquities trade and the problems it creates, from loss of knowledge to loss of patrimony, but that may be difficult to effect since museums are not eager to take on this tainted material and, apparently, to make bold statements about the problems of collecting. Which brings me back to the Emory museum. Reading the latest issue of the magazine, Antiques (September, 1994) I find an article on page 308 by Maxwell Anderson, "The antiquities collection of Lawrence A. and Barbara Fleischman, which is P.R. for the exhibition "A Passion for Antiquities: Ancient Art from the Collection of Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman" on view now at the Getty Museum and then moving to the Cleveland Museum. Here's a quote of Anderson's prose that I think well reflects his attitude: "[the Fleischmans] have assembled what is universally acknowledged to be one of the world's foremost private collections of classical art. Its unselfconscious arrangement in their spectacular residence allows for frequent repositioning. Indeed, Lawrence Fleischman admits to occasional nocturnal tuning of the displays when sleep eludes him. The result of this informality is extremely inviting for visitors and communicates the Fleischman's genuine love of collecting for its own sake. "When the Fleischmans began collecting classical antiquities in earnest they sought the advice of specialists. However, their skills as connoiseurs were quickly honed, and within a few months they startled curators here and abroad with the acuity of their taste." Ironically Anderson recently chaired a session in Seattle on the draft UNIDROIT Convention on the Return of Stolen and Illegally Exported Cultural Property. The draft would create a unified private law code whereby claimants in countries that are party to the convention could sue in the courts of a signatory nation for the return of stolen, illegally exported, or unlawfully excavated cultural objects. But, so far as I understand the UNIDROIT draft, it still does not address the issue of how a claimant can establish that an artifact was illegally excavated and illegally exported if its presence had not in some way been documented prior to its removal. That is the loophole that permits dealers to bring in and sell items that in fact have been stolen. And small objects are easiest to loot for this purpose. I would propose that we lobby museums here and abroad to mount displays that use objects of unknown provenance and from private collections to illustrate how collecting contributes to the loss of knowledge, the rape of cultural patrimony and the enslavement of cultural symbols. If you have recently visited the Archaeological Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, you can see on display the silver recently returned by the Metropolitan Museum, but unfortunately there is NOT A SINGLE WORD that informs the viewer of the history of those objects and the long journey they took before they came home. It is an opportunity lost. Jim Wright james c. wright jwright@cc.brynmawr.edu professor and chairman office 610-526-5340 department of classical and fax 610-526-7475 near eastern archaeology bryn mawr college,101 north merion avenue, bryn mawr, pa 19010-2899 ------------------------------ End of Ancient Near East Digest V2 #12 ************************************** To subscribe to ANE-Digest, send the command: subscribe ANE-digest in the body of a message to "Majordomo@oi.uchicago.edu". If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that address to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe "local-ANE": subscribe ANE-digest local-ANE@your.domain.net A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of "ANE-digest" in the commands above with "ANE". 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