TAARII Newsletter the American Academic Research Institute in Iraq
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SPRING 2011 PAGE 1 TAARII Newsletter The American Academic Research Institute in Iraq ISSUE NO. 6-1 SPRING 2011 © TAARII ARCHAEOLOGICAL MEETING IN PHILADELPHIA On February 26, 2011, TAARII there but have an abiding commitment the situation in the past few years. convened a half-day meeting to to Mesopotamian archaeology and Questions about permission and discuss the state of archaeology art or epigraphy; a few who have logistics for anyone wishing to initiate in Iraq, including current research already begun or will soon initiate research led to the recommendation activities by Iraqis and foreigners and field projects; two Iraqis who are now that they should establish joint the research priorities that American graduate students in U.S. universities; projects with SBAH or one of the scholars have as they resume and a few other graduate students from universities, with the agreement of fieldwork in the country. At their own the University of Pennsylvania and SBAH. It was emphasized that any expense, twenty-seven scholars met elsewhere. archaeological project in Iraq should in the University of Pennsylvania Dr. Donny George led the opening request permission from and report to Museum, some driving through a discussion on the organization the central offices of SBAH. snowstorm and others experiencing and staffing of the State Board of Besides Iraqi expeditions, which long delays at airports. The group Antiquities (SBAH), adding the news have resumed research in all areas included people who worked in Iraq that the security of ancient sites has of the country for the past few years, from the 1960s through the 1980s; now been given to the National Guard, there are several projects with foreign others who have not been able to work which marks an improvement over participation. Presently, Margarethe IN MeMory of Dr. Donny GeorGe youkhaNa October 3, 1950 – March 11, 2011 Dr. Donny George, former director of the Iraq Museum and later president of the State Board of Antiquities, died in Toronto on March 11, 2011. He was on his way to give a lecture on Mesopotamian archaeology, an activity that he has engaged in tirelessly for most of his adult life. As the most televised and quoted figure in the museum and the antiquities service after the looting of the complex in April of 2003, Donny gained innumerable friends and admirers in Iraq and abroad. His love of archaeology, his dedication to the antiquities service, and his generous and open character Dr. Donny George Youkhana resonated with everyone he met. (Photo credit: Micah Garen & Marie-Helene Carlton/Four Corners Media) PAGE 2 TAARII NEWSLETTER Figure 1.1. Meeting participants include Irene Winter, Zaid Ibrahim, Figure 1.2. Henry Wright and Elizabeth Stone viewing Donny George Youkhana, and Abdul Ameer Hamdani satellite images van Ess of the German Institute is huge area centering on the marshes of positioned by remote sensing. It is an conducting a training excavation Thi Qar province, in which he located irony that some good can come from with Kurdish archaeologists in Erbil. and collected from more than 1,200 the looting that has taken place, since Another German team under Peter sites. In September 2010, Jennifer the pottery on the surface of sites is Miglus has conducted surveys since Pournelle and Carrie Hritz carried now much more representative of 2007 and is now excavating at a Neo- out a short feasibility reconnaissance the periods of occupation, and the Assyrian city in the Sulaimaniya in part of his area. Their aim is to assigning of dates to settlements will area. A Dutch expedition under reconstruct the ecological system in be far more accurate than before. Wilfred van Soldt began excavating the area through time, detailing the Several people spoke about a Middle Assyrian site called Satu reach of the Gulf and investigating publication projects. Richard Zettler Qale in the vicinity of Erbil in 2010, the nature and position of settlement and Jean Evans discussed progress on in cooperation with the University related to the edges of the ancient the Inanna Temple at Nippur. McGuire of Erbil. The University of Rome marsh. They hope to return for more Gibson mentioned not only his work Sapienza is fielding a joint Iraqi-Italian extensive research. to reduce his backlog at Nippur, but excavation at Tell Abu Tubaira near Ur, Elizabeth Stone reported on her also the book that Karen Wilson has beginning in the summer of 2011. ongoing project to assess damage to submitted for publication on Bismaya/ Abdul Ameer Hamdani gave an sites, which has led to the compilation Adab and her manuscript on Kish. overview of his post-2003 surveys in a of remarkable plans of buildings on Holly Pittman is heading up a group some sites as revealed in satellite to publish Donald Hansen’s findings at images. She and Paul Zimansky plan Tell al-Hiba/Lagash. Clemens Reichel to open excavations this summer in a described the online Diyala object joint operation with Hamdani at the database, which is finally going to be site of Tell Mathhuriya, an Ur III–Old available for scholars this year. Gibson Babylonian site near Ur. then described the TAARII project in There was an important discussion which he and Mark Altaweel have of the need for a coordinated effort been translating and editing Iraqi site to assess the damage to sites in the reports for publication in English in south, utilizing standard methods and international journals; among these recording to ensure comparability of are a report by Salah Rmeidh on Tell results. The sharing of satellite images Asmar and another by Hussayn Ali and location databases is essential to Hamzi on Tell Muqtadiya, both of this effort. It is assumed that the Iraqi which are in the Diyala region. SBAH and cooperating foreign teams The meeting broke up at 5 p.m., will be able to carry out such a program with everyone agreeing that we in the future, beginning with the data should meet again in a year. We thank now on hand related to more than Richard Zettler and the University of Figure 1.3. Excavations in the Early Dynastic Levels of the Inanna Temple 6,000 sites located by archaeologists Pennsylvania Museum for hosting the at Nippur, 1962 in the 1960s and 1970s and precisely event. SPRING 2011 PAGE 3 THE BA‘TH PARTY AND POLITICAL EDUCATION IN IRAQ Joseph sassooN, GeorGetowN universIty Based on original documents of the of writing political reports); history of became overwhelmingly dominated by Ba‘th Party in Iraq, this paper attempts the Party (the life of Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein’s personality cult. His to understand how the Ba‘th dealt and his epic battles); and national and slogans were repeated in meetings, and with ideological education, both for regional topics (Palestine, Qadissiyat quotes from his writings and speeches its members and the general public. Saddam). In the mid-1990s another were used as subjects for seminar The Party Secretariat and its branches theme was added: The Party and research papers. Whenever any of across the country paid tremendous Religion. As part of these courses, Party the President’s books was published, attention to cultural education and members had also to undergo guidance branches had to order hundreds of political indoctrination, which became in al-thaqafa al-‘amma (general copies and distribute them to members. synonyms during the Ba‘th era. This culture). These cultural courses were Saddam Hussein’s personal interest indoctrination had an impact on culture not, however, very different in content in culture and poetry cannot be in two ways: through al-thaqafah al- from the political education. underestimated as he saw himself as hizbiyyah (political education) and al- The Party and its different a writer and a poet, and thus felt a thaqafa al-‘amma (general culture). organizations invested tremendous kinship with artists of all kinds. By the In other words, Ba‘thification of the efforts in building and running cultural year 2000, artists in Iraq were divided masses was no less important than events. Party publications played into three groups depending on their indoctrination of Party members, and as an important role, not only in the output and seniority and were given the Eighth Regional Conference of the indoctrination of Ba‘th cadres but of the monthly stipends according to the Party in 1974 stated, special attention Iraqi people in general. The Party also category they belonged to. should be paid to “educating the masses devoted significant resources to opening In conclusion, the object of political in general and the youth in particular libraries in branches across the country, education, similar to communist about the national culture …, and and donated a wide range of books. regimes, was to produce better Ba‘thists immunizing them from foreign theories In addition to visual media such who were able to grasp the Party line and ideas that do not fit our [the Ba‘th] as monuments and statues, the and, in turn, make it comprehensible to national and humanitarian goals.” regime used jidariyyat (murals) to the wider public. There is no doubt that Indoctrination was epitomized most indoctrinate people. These jidariyyat during the 35-year-rule of the Ba‘th, of all in courses run by the madrasat had the dual purpose of spreading the lines between cultural education al-i’dad al-hizbi (the Party preparatory the Ba‘th’s message and enforcing and political education became totally school) which was set up to develop the personality cult of the President, blurred, and this obviously deeply Party cadres. Courses were organized which became an integral part of the affected education and literature in Iraq along four major themes: ideological Party’s cultural undertakings.