TAARII Newsletter the American Academic Research Institute in Iraq
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SPRING/FALL 2014 PAGE 1 TAARII Newsletter The American Academic Research Institute in Iraq ISSUE NO. 9-1/2 SPRING/FALL 2014 © TAARII TAARII THANKS FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT FOR HIS SERVICE On June 30, 2014, TAARII’s founder, connections have made him a wonderful Professor McGuire Gibson, completed resource for all those interested in Iraq, his third and final term as President. and he has used this knowledge to train Professor Gibson helped found TAARII the next generation of Iraq scholars and in 1989, under its former name, the Mesopotamian archaeologists, including American Association for Research several of our current board of directors on Baghdad (AARB). However, due and TAARII members. to the Gulf War and Sanctions, AARB His most notable archaeological became dormant. Following a 2003 visit fieldwork in Iraq has been at Kish to Iraq, Gibson saw the opportunity for (1966), as part of the Chicago- the revival of an Iraqi studies institute, Copenhagen Expedition to the Hamrin which gave rise to TAARII in its Salvage (1978–79), and the University current incarnation: one that focuses on of Chicago’s Oriental Institute ancient as well as contemporary Iraq. Expedition to Nippur, for which he has Gibson’s dedication to Iraqi studies and been the director since 1972. He has also collaboration between American and conducted numerous excavations and Iraqi colleagues have helped to establish surveys in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and and guide this academic organization Syria, as well as been involved in many through the ups and downs of the last publication projects, such as the Oriental decade. Despite difficulties in working in Iraq over the last decades, Gibson Figure 1.1. (Above) McGuire Gibson after a panel discussion at the University of has been a staunch supporter of creating Maryland, College Park. (Photo credit: Abdulameer al-Hamdani, 2014) stronger links, opportunities, and Figure 1.2. (Below) McGuire Gibson attending a conference on Baghdad that TAARII projects to bring Iraqi projects to the fore co-organized with the Iraqi Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: Iraqi and to provide resources for upcoming Cultural Center, 2014) and established scholars of Iraq. Faithful to both the American and Iraqi sides of the equation, Gibson has been able to mold TAARII into an organization that speaks to a range of interests in order to better serve scholars. Professor Gibson’s love of Iraq and dedication to it become quickly evident to anyone who meets him, not to mention his sense of humor and entertaining stories from the “trenches” of Iraq archaeology. He has spent many years working in and visiting Iraq. His lifelong love of Iraq and its history is clear in his many publications and his presence in the community of Iraq scholars. His broad knowledge and many PAGE 2 TAARII NEWSLETTER Institute Diyala Objects Publication In addition to TAARII, Professor TAARII and in its continuing efforts. Project (1995–present). Gibson also has Gibson helped found the American In further testament to his wide- numerous publications, ranging from Institute for Yemeni Studies (AIYS) ranging service to the scholarly excavation reports to books to articles and CAORC (the Council of American community, the Middle East Studies and opinion pieces. Overseas Research Centers) (see Association (MESA) recognized Gibson In recent years, Gibson has also figure 1.3). He served as the president with the Jere Bacharach Award for been active in bringing attention to the of AIYS from 1978–80 and 1991–96. Distinguished Service award in 2010. destruction of Iraqi cultural sites due He was also the chairman (1984–88) Gibson received this award for his years to the war. He has lectured widely on and treasurer (1988–91) of CAORC. of service with CAORC, AIYS, TAARII, the looting, the damage to the Baghdad This experience and knowledge of and his role in promoting Iraqi studies, Museum, and the ruin of sites throughout the American Overseas Centers have both modern and ancient. Iraq. helped in the creation of AARB/ While TAARII is sad to have Gibson step down from the role of president, we are thankful for his many years of service and guidance. He will remain on TAARII’s Board of Directors as our founding president and will serve on the executive committee. As TAARII grows and expands, we look forward to working with him for many years to come. Figure 1.3. (Above) CAORC Founding Meeting (Photo credit: CAORC) Figure 1.4. (Bottom left) McGuire Gibson (center) at the TAARII-ICC conference on Baghdad, along with CAORC former Executive Director Mary Ellen Lane (left), and Columbia University Professor of History Richard Bulliet (right) (Photo credit: ICC, 2014) SPRING/FALL 2014 PAGE 3 PRESIDENT’S REPORT Peter wieN As TAARII’s new president, I terror to a great number of Iraqis of of the current situation in Iraq when would like to start by thanking all provinces. the cultures and societies that we are TAARII’s Board of Directors (who We at TAARII remain concerned studying are at risk of disintegrating in turn represent the members) about the ongoing destruction to permanently. TAARII held a workshop for their trust and confidence in Iraq’s cultural heritage and Iraqi at the University of Maryland, College electing me to this position. Since society. We seek ways to collaborate Park, in December 2014 that brought taking over in July 2014, I have with U.S., Iraqi, and international together scholars with experience in received tremendous support and colleagues and institutions to make digital humanities and Iraqi collections help from my predecessor, Mac a positive contribution. to discuss best practices and possible Gibson, our Executive Director, For example, TAARII has begun ways to help document Iraq’s cultural Beth Kangas, our Amman Resident the initial steps of a project towards heritage. The workshop built a Director, Lucine Taminian, helping to document and eventually foundation for a subsequent workshop TAARII’s current and previous digitize the contents of Iraqi libraries, in Iraq and several pilot projects. officers, as well as Chris Tuttle, the archives, and museums. The records, I would like to end on a positive Executive Director of the Council books, catalogs, and myriad small note. TAARII has come a long way of American Overseas Research artifacts in collections and storage over the past ten years, and I believe Centers (CAORC). I thank Mac for facilities constitute the country’s that we have even greater potential the immeasurable efforts that he institutionalized historical memory for the future. I am looking forward put in TAARII during his years of belonging to its various communities. to working with all of you to advance service. Since TAARII’s foundation Documenting these items would be a the understanding of Iraq throughout in 2004, he has steered the ship relatively small contribution, but one the ages and make it useful for Iraqis through rough waters under adverse within our means, to alleviate the pains and the rest of the world. conditions when war and civil war made it impossible for us to establish a presence in Iraq itself. Through projects, conferences, networking, and a successful research fellowship program, we have nevertheless managed to make a name for ourselves both in the U.S. and Iraq, as well as worldwide. When I took over from Mac, we were optimistic about efforts to establish a physical presence for TAARII in Baghdad. At the end of May, Mac, Beth, and I had encouraging conversations with the Iraqi Ambassador in Washington, D.C., and the Department of State’s Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau about moving our office from our temporary facilities in Amman, Jordan, to Baghdad. However, over Figure 2.1. TAARII’s visit to the Iraqi Cultural Center (ICC), May 2014. From left to the summer, the situation in Iraq right: Beth Kangas (TAARII Executive Director), Jabbar Jaafar (ICC Public Relations & Media Specialist), McGuire Gibson (TAARII Founding President), and Peter Wien deteriorated when ISIS conquered (TAARII President) (Photo credit: Iraqi Cultural Center, 2014) broad swaths of territory and brought PAGE 4 TAARII NEWSLETTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT Beth KaNgas The year 2014 brought changes to poetry, inscriptions, tombs, and at the University of Basra, did attend, TAARII and Iraq. On July 1, we peaceful coexistence. invited by TAARII members Carrie welcomed one returning and three To facilitate interactions Hritz (AAS Fellow, Geosciences new officers to TAARII (see box on with members of the Iraqi and Division, National Science page 5). We also saw the end of an Mesopotamian scholarly communities, Foundation) and Jennifer Pournelle era as our founder, McGuire Gibson, TAARII held receptions in November (University of South Carolina) and finished his third and final term as at the annual meetings of the American supported by their grant from the TAARII’s President (see cover story). Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) National Science Foundation. We We continued to watch the situation in San Diego and the Middle East appreciate the assistance that ASOR in Iraq, waiting for circumstances Studies Association in Washington, and the other institutions extended to to allow TAARII to transition its D.C. (see photos, page 23). At this all of the participants from Iraq. activities from Jordan to Iraq. The year’s ASOR meeting, TAARII’s In 2014, TAARII held three optimism that we had in May quickly Secretary, Jason Ur of Harvard events on preserving Iraq’s cultural turned to concern over the destruction University, gave the plenary address heritage. On July 18, TAARII and that ensued from the efforts of the on “The Renaissance of Archaeology the Iraqi Cultural Center held a Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq and its Kurdistan Region” program in Washington, D.C., on the to control Iraq.