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Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Iraqi
Cultural Heritage
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20 Trucks Delivered to Baghdad
for Archaeological Site Protection (June 18, 2004)
Destined for use by archaeological
site guards, 20 pick-up trucks were delivered this week to Baghdad International
Airport. Funded by the Packard Humanities Institute through the State
Department, the trucks are part of the Archaeological Site Protection
program.
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Dr. John Russell,
Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Culture, CPA with trucks for the
State Board of Antiquities and Heritage.
Photo courtesy
of John Russell
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Ambassador L. Paul Bremer
III and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez Issue Statement on Babylon (June
11, 2004)
A team of archaeologists has
assessed the presence of the military camp at Babylon and the CPA and
military have collectively recommended certain actions.
UN Security Council Resolution
1546 Stresses Need to Respect Iraq's Heritage (June
8, 2004)
Adopted by the UN Security
Council on 8 June 2004, Resolution 1546 stresses "the need for all
parties to respect and protect Iraq's archaeological, historical, cultural,
and religious heritage."
Dr. Zainab Bahrani Appointed
Senior Consultant for Culture (May 25, 2004)
Dr. Zainab Bahrani, Associate
Professor, Columbia University has been appointed to work with the Coalition
Provisional Authority as Senior Consultant for Culture. Her objective
will be to continue the reconstruction at the National Museum and National
Library and to identify new opportunities for training and study abroad.
Bremer Hands Over Full Authority
to the Iraqi Ministry of Culture (May
4, 2004)
On May 4, Coalition Provisional
Authority (CPA) Administrator Ambassador L. Paul Bremer congratulated
the Iraqi Minister of Culture, Mufeed Mohammed Jawad Al-Jaza’iri,
the former Coalition Senior Advisor, Ambassador Mario Bondioli Osio, and
the Senior Advisor, Professor John Russell, on rebuilding and creating
a solid foundation for the Ministry. Bremer declared that the Ministry
of Culture has reached a significant milestone and accordingly, handed
over full authority.
Iraqi Museum Specialists Receive
Grant to Study in the U.S. (February
22, 2004)
On Sunday, February 22, 2004,
a group of Iraqi museum professionals departed Baghdad for the United
States, where they will participate in a five-week, intensive Cultural
Heritage Institute and practicum sponsored by the US State Department
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The need to protect and conserve
cultural heritage unites all countries. The Cultural Heritage Institute
for Iraq aims to prepare the next generation of Iraqi stewards and to
forge ongoing partnerships between Iraqi and American institutions and
colleagues.
“These young professionals
represent the future for museums in Iraq,” observes John Russell,
Deputy Senior Advisor for Culture for the CPA, who consulted on the development
of the Institute. “This unique program gives them an opportunity
to see how other collections work, meet colleagues in a variety of museum
disciplines in the US, and bring ideas back to their own museums throughout
Iraq.”
US Department of State Museum
Assessment Project (January 15, 2004)
The Department's Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) sent a team of experts to the Iraq
National Museum to assess the need for rehabilitation and reconstruction
of the buildings and infrastructure. From October 8-18, 2003, Michael
Dula (information technology), Wilbur Faulk (security), Davin Gilson (facilities),
and Catherine Sease (conservation) met with museum and SBAH staff and
examined the complex of museum and administrative buildings. Their observations
and recommendations resulted in $700,000 of State Department funds in
contracts for electrical, plumbing, HVAC and other building repairs, as
well as installation of a computer network, communications equipment,
and other technological improvements. Work has already begun on building
and air conditioning repair. The assessment team's recommendations for
security-related improvements has been approved for up to $700,000 of
funding through the Coalition Provisional Authority. A donation from the
Packard Humanities Institute has provided for computer equipment and furniture
for the museum staff.
USAID-Iraq HEAD-Stony Brook University Program in Archaeology and Environmental
Health (January 9, 2004)
Subsequent to the first USAID-Iraq
HEAD Program meeting, held in Amman, Jordan 15-16 December 2003, a team
from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, including the E.
Christian Filstrup, Director of Libraries, Elizabeth Stone (Director)
and Jennifer Pournelle (Asst. Director) of the Archaeology Project; and
Wajdy Hailoo (Director) and Shawky Marcus (Asst. Director) of the Environmental
Health Project visited Baghdad to inspect facilities, assess needs, and
solicit bids toward execution of the Program. Critical components of this
effort, aimed at restoring Iraq's capacity to conduct higher education
in these fields, are (1) bringing libraries-including holdings, internet
connectivity, and information technology management-up to current graduate
standards; (2) bringing faculty up-to-date in their fields; (3) enhancing
graduate education and (4) establishing IT capacity to support libraries,
teaching and research. For more information, see the libraries
and facilities assessment report.
Library of Congress - US Department
of State Mission to Baghdad (December
15, 2003)
A Library of Congress team
of experts recently visited Baghdad to help with the State Department-sponsored
project to reconstruct the National Library and Archives in Iraq. The
mission to Iraq was led by Arab world specialist Mary-Jane Deeb and included
Michael Albin, chief of the Anglo-American Acquisitions Division and former
director of the Library's field office in Cairo, and Alan Haley, a conservation
specialist with the Preservation Office. For more information, see the
Library of Congress
press release and "The
Library of Congress and the U.S. Department of State Mission to Baghdad:
Report on the National Library and the House of Manuscripts."
Two More Objects on the "Top
30" Missing Artifacts List Recovered (November
13, 2003)
The Iraq National Museum announced
the recovery of No. 2 (the Bissetki statue) and No. 28 (Nimrud brazier)
on November 11. With the Warka vase, returned during the summer, and the
Warka mask, returned in September, four items among the major missing
pieces have been recovered. Read John Russell's account of their recovery
on the AIA
web site.
John M. Russell Appointed
Deputy Senior Advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Culture (September
18, 2003)
John M. Russell, Professor,
Massachusetts College of Art has been appointed to work with the Coalition
Provisional Authority as Deputy Senior Advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of
Culture. His main objective is to connect colleagues and cultural institutions
in Iraq with outside funding sources, opportunities, and expertise for
projects relating to reconstruction, study abroad, and training.
In April of this year, thousands
of artifacts were discovered missing from the National Museum of Iraq
in Baghdad. In response to the looting, the United States Government dispatched
a team of military investigators and Special Agents from the United States
Customs Service from the United States Central Command Joint Inter-Agency
Coordination Group. Two of the team's objectives were to identify what
was stolen and to recover as many artifacts as possible. The "Top
30" missing major display pieces from the museum galleries are
illustrated here. It is hoped that making these photographs available
on-line will facilitate their recovery.
Information on How to Donate
to the Reconstruction of Iraqi Heritage (July 24,
2003)
Many people have asked the
State Department how they can contribute to the restoration of looted
and damaged Iraqi cultural heritage. The State Department has set up a
special account for this purpose. Funds
from private donations are expected to be used to support restoration
of cultural heritage in Iraq. This includes conservation, and protection
of cultural materials (artifacts, art, books, manuscripts, archival materials,
etc.); capacity building for cultural heritage management; and restoration
of cultural sites, monuments and museums, libraries and other repositories
of cultural materials in Iraq. Click here for
further information.
Iraq Cultural Heritage Update
(July 14, 2003)
An interagency working group
has been formed to assist in the rebuilding of the cultural heritage infrastructure
in Iraq. The working group will provide educational opportunities, as
identified by the Iraqis, in fields such as conservation, museum management,
library science, archaeology and cultural preservation; and will help
reconstitute their research capability and facilitate scholarly access
to Iraq’s rich heritage. The Department of State is coordinating
this interagency response to assist Iraq in preserving its cultural heritage
and will help channel donations from private sources wishing to support
this effort.
Department of State Facilitates
Delivery of Equipment and Supplies to the Iraq National Museum (July
3, 2003)
The Department of State, in
cooperation with the Packard Humanities Institute, is providing computers,
photographic equipment and related supplies to the Iraq National Museum
in Baghdad. State Department contract archaeologists assisted in identifying
appropriate equipment for use by museum staff and have also provided a
modicum of training to staff in the use of the equipment. This initiative
is supported by a grant from the Packard Humanities Institute.
International Council of Museums
(ICOM) Publishes the Emergency Red List of Iraqi Antiquities at Risk (June
11, 2003)
The Emergency Red List of
Iraqi Antiquities at Risk is designed to help customs officials, police
officers and art dealers identify objects as coming from Iraq. The Red
List describes the types of object most sought-after on the illegal antiquities
market, so that they can be identified and impounded. It makes no claim
to be exhaustive. Because of the extremely varied nature of Iraqi cultural
heritage, any antiquities from Iraq should be viewed with suspicion.
Iraqi Sanctions Regulations
-- Title 31 Part 575 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (May
23, 2003)
On May 23, 2003, the Office
of Foreign Assets Control issued a General License lifting most of the
sanctions against Iraq. However, Section 4 does not authorize any transactions
with respect to Iraqi cultural property or other items of archaeological,
historical, cultural, rare scientific, and religious importance illegally
removed from the Iraq National Museum, the National Library, and other
locations in Iraq since August 6, 1990. Any trade in or transfer of such
items, including items with respect to which reasonable suspicion exists
that they have been illegally removed, remains prohibited by subpart B
of 31 CFR part 575.
UN Security Council Resolution
1483 Protects Iraq's Heritage (May
22, 2003 fact sheet)
UNSCR
1483 Section 7 protects Iraq's heritage by establishing a ban on international
trade in Iraqi cultural property and other archaeological, historical,
cultural, religious and rare scientific items illegally removed from the
Iraq National Museum, National Library and other locations.
U.S. Contributes $2 Million
to Protect and Restore Iraqi Antiquities (April
29, 2003 press release)
The United States is pleased
to announce a contribution of $2 million to help
protect and restore key museums and archeological sites in Iraq.
Cooperation for the Safeguarding
of Iraqi Antiquities and Cultural Property (April
14, 2003 press release)
Statement by Secretary Colin
L. Powell that the people of the United States value the archeological
and cultural heritage of Iraq that documents over 10,000 years of the
development of civilization.
OTHER RESOURCES
Other image databases of
objects from the Iraq National Museum
Emergency
Red List of Iraqi Antiquities at Risk
, produced by the
International Council of Museums (ICOM), the list describes and illustrates
the types of objects especially at risk or likely to have been stolen
from Iraq.
Images
supplied via the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago illustrate
some types of the objects looted from the Iraq National Museum.
Interpol
Stolen Iraqi Art-- Illustrations
of objects reported stolen.
Treasures
of the Baghdad Museum supplied via The ArtNewspaper.
IFLA (International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions)
Assessment
of damage to libraries and archives in Iraq
UNESCO
International
Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage in
Iraq: seven recommendations (May 26, 2004)
UNESCO
and INTERPOL reinforce cooperation in fight against traffic in Iraqi cultural
goods. (July 10, 2003)
Iraqi
Cultural Heritage: second UNESCO mission.
(June 26, 2003)
Iraqi
Cultural Heritage: first UNESCO mission to Baghdad from 15 to 20 May 2003
(May 19, 2003)
Experts’
meeting at UNESCO issues recommendations to safeguard Iraqi Cultural Heritage.
(April 17, 2003)
Remarks
by Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura. (April 16, 2003)
War
in Iraq and its consequences on Cultural Heritage - Editorial by Mounir
Bouchenaki, Assistant
Director-General for Culture.
(April 4, 2003)
ICOM
Resources
on Iraqi Museum Collections
Looting
of the Iraqi cultural heritage
Interpol
2nd
Meeting of the Interpol Tracking Task Force to Fight the Illicit Trafficking
in Cultural Property Stolen in Iraq (ITTF), Amman, Jordan, June 1-4, 2004
Interpol
International Conference on Stolen Iraqi Art, Lyon, France 5-6, May 2003
Interpol
forms incident response team on stolen Iraqi art
Special
meeting called at Lyon General Secretariat
LYON, France - Interpol has
responded to the widespread theft of art and antiquities from Iraqi museums
by forming a special incident response team of senior officers to coordinate
efforts to locate the missing items and arrest those responsible for the
crimes.
Members of the team will travel
later this month to Kuwait and other countries in the region to meet with
government and law enforcement officials to gather further information
and details of what has been stolen. The team will travel to Iraq as soon
as this can be arranged with military officials.
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