October 14, 2019

Cultural Heritage Center (ECA/P/C) SA-5, Floor C2 U.S. Department of State 2200 C Street NW Washington, D.C. 20522-05C2

Dear Members of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee,

The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), with its membership of approximately 220,000 professional archaeologists, corresponding members, students, and enthusiasts, all united by a shared passion for archaeology and its role in furthering human knowledge, expresses its strong support of the request by the Republic of for Imposing Import Restrictions to Protect its Cultural Patrimony under Article 9 of the UNESCO Convention (1970) and the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act. At the core of its mission, the AIA promotes archaeological inquiry and public understanding of the material record of the human past to foster an appreciation of diverse cultures and our shared humanity. The AIA supports archaeologists, their research and its dissemination, and ethical professional practice. The AIA educates people of all ages about the significance of archaeological discovery and advocates for the preservation of the world’s archaeological heritage.

Known to the ancient geographers as Arabia eudaimon or Arabia felix (Happy Arabia), Yemen was famed in classical antiquity for its production of frankincense and myrrh, and its mercantile connections with the traders of the eastern and Mediterranean world. But archaeological evidence for early agricultural terracing is visible in the third millennium BCE, while urban centers along the coast can be seen at Sabir and Ma’laybah in the second millennium BCE. The power and influence of the Sabaean Kingdom (often connected to the biblical kingdom of Sheba) during the first millennium BCE is known from investigations of vast irrigation works and temples in the vicinity of its capital in . The Sabaeans played a central role in the spice trade from southern Arabia to the Mediterranean port of Gaza until the rise of the Ptolemies in the Hellenistic Period, who encouraged seaborne trade over the camel routes. By the 2nd century BCE until the early 6th century CE, the Himyarites controlled the region, whose capital in Zafar has revealed significant fortifications, palaces, temples, and tombs. By the end of the 6th century, Southern Arabia was overtaken by the Aksumites, became a province of the Sassanid Empire, and was later ruled by a succession of Muslim dynasties. For their preservation of domestic, military and religious Islamic architecture, the centers and Sana’a have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites; both are currently inscribed on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger.

There has been a long tradition of American archaeology in Yemen. In 1951-52 Wendell Phillips led a team of archaeologists to explore the cities of Timna and Marib through the American Foundation for the Study of Man (AFSM); in 1998 Philips’ sister Merilyn Phillips Hodgson returned to excavate at the Mahram Bilqis in Marib in collaboration with the German Archaeological Institute. In the 1980s, AFSM sponsored James Sauer’s (University of Pennsylvania) excavations at Wadi al-Jubah, located on the caravan route between Timna and Marib. In 1994-95, Donald Hansen (New York University) excavated the site of Jujah in the Wadi Hadhramaut. The Roots of Agriculture in Southern Arabia Project, led by Joy McCorriston explored early human occupation and activities in the southern mountains of Yemen. In 1996 and 1998, the Archaeology Fund extended its explorations from Oman along the ancient frankincense routes into Yemen, into the Mahra region of eastern Yemen. The Dhamar Survey Project, which built on pioneering survey work by MacGuire Gibson at the University of Chicago in 1978, has explored the emergence of the Himyarite kingdom and its agricultural adaptations of the landscape. Krista Lewis (University of Arkansas) became director of the project in 2007, with surface survey focused on the city of Masna’at Maryah in the highland mountains. American investigators often turn to the American Institute for Yemeni Studies, one of 25 American overseas research centers, to provide essential resources for the support of research in Yemen and the development of academic ties between the Yemeni and American academic communities. Such collaborative projects speak for Yemen’s commitment to the protection of archaeological sites and their artifacts through initiatives at a local and international scale.

Despite this long history of archaeological accomplishment, Yemen’s cultural property is under acute threat due to the ongoing conflict and recent attacks on sites and museums by extremists and armed insurgents, as well as by aerial bombardment in support of the government. Destruction and looting has been reported at the Aden National Museum, the Taiz National Museum, the National Museum of Zinjibar and the Dhamar Museum; this combined with opportunistic looting and the resultant sale of antiquities on the market may provide funding for extremist groups in the region. Recognizing the threat to cultural objects, the International Council of Museum published in July 2019 an Emergency Red List of Cultural Objects at Risk from Yemen; these lists reflect categories of objects that are on demand on the art market and are at risk of being looted, stolen or illegally exported. They include ancient carved stone sculptures and stelai, ceramic and stone vessels, precious metal jewelry, and coins. As archaeologists, we are particularly interested in including in the memorandum of agreement mass-produced items such as coins, ceramic amphoras, painted pottery, raw metals, and other quotidian objects of exchange that provide information—when found in their original archaeological context—about mechanisms of communication and the circulation of goods in antiquity. Although mass produced and internationally circulated, coins serve as critical markers of the economic mechanisms and cultural contacts that integrated the ancient world; these merit all possible protection to prevent looting and the destruction of archaeological context, as well as to learn more about the objects themselves. Regardless of whether an object has a high or low market value, its recovery from the ground through controlled, scientific methods is crucial to create an understanding of the past. In light of Yemen’s long history of trade marked by trade along the Incense Routes, concern for the material remains of mercantile institutions is crucial.

Yemen has demonstrated a long-term and substantial commitment to the protection of archaeological sites and monuments through its Ministry of Culture and its two primary institutions: the General Organization for Antiquities and Museums and the General Organization for the Preservation of Historic Cities. Over the past 25 years, the Yemeni Government has been active in establishing a legal framework for the protection of its archaeological materials and heritage sites. Before the war, Yemen participated actively in international exhibitions and the loan of objects to American museums. In 2005, the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery displayed numerous loaned objects as part of its exhibit, “Caravan Kingdoms: Yemen and the Ancient Incense Trade,” exploring interaction between the southern , the eastern Mediterranean, northeastern Africa, and south and southwest Asia as a result of the spice trade. In 2019, the Freer Gallery of Art hosted an international conference in honor of the fortieth anniversary of the American Institute for Yemeni Studies titled, “Culture at Risk: Yemen’s Heritage Under Threat.” The event included archaeologists and heritage specialists and addressed active threats to Yemen’s heritage and current efforts toward mitigation. . It is incumbent upon us to foster an environment in which Yemen can protect its cultural patrimony for the future. In consideration of the above, we respectfully ask that the committee recommend support of the request by the Republic of Yemen to impose import restrictions to protect its cultural patrimony.

We are grateful for the opportunity to comment.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth S. Greene Jodi Magness Vice President for Cultural Heritage President, Archaeological Institute of America Archaeological Institute of America Keenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence Department of Classics Department of Religious Studies Brock University University of North Carolina St Catharines, ON L2R 2J3 Chapel Hill, NC 27599