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U.S. Archaeologists Return To Explore Iraq's Treasures
By Dan Vergano
March 14, 2012 1:05PM
Archaeologists are beginning to return to the war-ravaged nation of Iraq to explore the country's rich archaeological history, joking that the only advice needed to uncover history there is "just dig." Until very recently, war and international sanctions had closed locations such as Babylon, Nineveh and Ur to the world and to scholars.
There are so many vanished cities in Iraq -- Babylon, Nineveh and Ur, just for starters -- archaeologists joke that the only advice needed to uncover history is "just dig."
War and international sanctions closed these locations to the world and to scholars. The ruins of ancient Mesopotamia, in modern-day Iraq, have mostly seen visits from looters for the past two decades.
But that may be changing. A U.S. archaeology team that was one of the first to visit Iraq in more than two decades has just returned from a dig there. They are now among a growing list of other archaeologists returning to the war-ravaged nation.
"There is so much gloom and doom in news from Iraq, this is a really hopeful moment," says archaeologist Elizabeth Stone of Stony Brook (N.Y) University. "Iraq, Mesopotamia, is so rich in archaeological sites. It was wonderful to be back."
Stone spent Christmas in southern Iraq on a dig project co-headed by colleague Paul Zimansky. Sponsored by the National Geographic Society, their four-week visit marked the first U.S. archaeological efforts in the country outside of Kurdish regions in two decades, since the 1990 Gulf War, and one of the first foreign efforts in a decade as well.
Stone has been there before, notably on a helicopter tour of sites looted in the wake of the 2003 Iraq War. Stone and colleagues determined that robbers dug the equivalent of 3,700 acres of holes in archaeological sites across a region filled with ancient history.
"Things are better now, and there was real interest among Iraqi scholars and officials in resuming archaeological work there," Stone says. Her team started at a site called Tell Sakhariya, near the southern Iraq city of Nasiriyah, about 4 miles from the ancient ruins of Ur, the fabled birthplace of Abraham in the Old Testament.
"As the last U.S. convoy was leaving (on Dec. 17), we were headed into Iraq," Stone says.
Digging at first revealed an encampment for herders who flourished in the region after 1800 B.C. Even lower, they found the clay edges of a platform that once supported a ceremonial building more than 80 yards across, built by the kings of Ur around 2000 B.C. At the time, Ur was one of the largest cities in the world, whose citizens were great record-keepers of ancient days. They marked cuneiform symbols in mud bricks to record their business dealings.
"It's very tentative, but the site may be Ga'esh, a place where Ur's kings went every year for a festival renewing their rulership," Stone says.
"Hopefully, things will remain stable and people will be able to go back," she says. Archaeology in Iraq remains difficult, she acknowledges, noting her dig was possible only because the site was guarded and near an airbase.
For an encore, Stone and her colleagues have requested permission to investigate Ur itself, first heavily excavated by British archaeologist Charles Leonard Woolley eight decades ago. Discovery of the intact tomb of "Queen" Puabi, buried with 52 poisoned attendants and gold adornments, made Ur world famous.
"Woolley was very good for his time, but he didn't have the methods we have now," Stone says.
"We're very hopeful we can return again."
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By Dan Vergano
March 14, 2012 1:05PM
Archaeologists are beginning to return to the war-ravaged nation of Iraq to explore the country's rich archaeological history, joking that the only advice needed to uncover history there is "just dig." Until very recently, war and international sanctions had closed locations such as Babylon, Nineveh and Ur to the world and to scholars.
There are so many vanished cities in Iraq -- Babylon, Nineveh and Ur, just for starters -- archaeologists joke that the only advice needed to uncover history is "just dig."
War and international sanctions closed these locations to the world and to scholars. The ruins of ancient Mesopotamia, in modern-day Iraq, have mostly seen visits from looters for the past two decades.
But that may be changing. A U.S. archaeology team that was one of the first to visit Iraq in more than two decades has just returned from a dig there. They are now among a growing list of other archaeologists returning to the war-ravaged nation.
"There is so much gloom and doom in news from Iraq, this is a really hopeful moment," says archaeologist Elizabeth Stone of Stony Brook (N.Y) University. "Iraq, Mesopotamia, is so rich in archaeological sites. It was wonderful to be back."
Stone spent Christmas in southern Iraq on a dig project co-headed by colleague Paul Zimansky. Sponsored by the National Geographic Society, their four-week visit marked the first U.S. archaeological efforts in the country outside of Kurdish regions in two decades, since the 1990 Gulf War, and one of the first foreign efforts in a decade as well.
Stone has been there before, notably on a helicopter tour of sites looted in the wake of the 2003 Iraq War. Stone and colleagues determined that robbers dug the equivalent of 3,700 acres of holes in archaeological sites across a region filled with ancient history.
"Things are better now, and there was real interest among Iraqi scholars and officials in resuming archaeological work there," Stone says. Her team started at a site called Tell Sakhariya, near the southern Iraq city of Nasiriyah, about 4 miles from the ancient ruins of Ur, the fabled birthplace of Abraham in the Old Testament.
"As the last U.S. convoy was leaving (on Dec. 17), we were headed into Iraq," Stone says.
Digging at first revealed an encampment for herders who flourished in the region after 1800 B.C. Even lower, they found the clay edges of a platform that once supported a ceremonial building more than 80 yards across, built by the kings of Ur around 2000 B.C. At the time, Ur was one of the largest cities in the world, whose citizens were great record-keepers of ancient days. They marked cuneiform symbols in mud bricks to record their business dealings.
"It's very tentative, but the site may be Ga'esh, a place where Ur's kings went every year for a festival renewing their rulership," Stone says.
"Hopefully, things will remain stable and people will be able to go back," she says. Archaeology in Iraq remains difficult, she acknowledges, noting her dig was possible only because the site was guarded and near an airbase.
For an encore, Stone and her colleagues have requested permission to investigate Ur itself, first heavily excavated by British archaeologist Charles Leonard Woolley eight decades ago. Discovery of the intact tomb of "Queen" Puabi, buried with 52 poisoned attendants and gold adornments, made Ur world famous.
"Woolley was very good for his time, but he didn't have the methods we have now," Stone says.
"We're very hopeful we can return again."
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
