Afghanistan's Ongoing Battle to Protect Its Cultural Heritage from Looting, War, and Terrorism
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ABSTRACT “A Nation Can Stay Alive When It’s Culture and History Stay Alive”: Afghanistan's Ongoing Battle to Protect its Cultural Heritage From Looting, War, and Terrorism Ashli Dougherty, M.A. Committee Chairperson: Julie L. Holcomb, Ph.D. Since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, many have heard the story and seen the images of the looting in Iraq, especially at the Baghdad Museum. While the world was quick to react to the events in Iraq, similar events occurring for the past thirty years in Afghanistan have largely been ignored. The archaeological record in Afghanistan stretches back thousands of years making it a key part in understanding Central Asian history, but the country’s once rich supply of cultural artifacts and archaeological sites is being destroyed by looting, war, and deliberate acts of destruction. This thesis examines the past and current circumstances surrounding the loss of Afghan cultural property and institutions such as the National Museum in Kabul. It further demonstrates how the protection of sites and utilization of cultural heritage can play a role in the rebuilding of a nation after three decades of war. “A Nation Can Stay Alive When It’s Culture and History Stay Alive”: Afghanistan's Ongoing Battle to Protect its Cultural Heritage From Looting, War, and Terrorism by Ashli Dougherty, B.A. A Thesis Approved by the Department of Museum Studies ___________________________________ Kenneth Hafertepe, PhD., Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by the Thesis Committee ___________________________________ Julie L. Holcomb, Ph.D., Chairperson ___________________________________ Kenneth C. Haftertepe, Ph.D. ___________________________________ T. Michael Parrish, Ph.D. Accepted by the Graduate School May 2011 ___________________________________ J. Larry Lyon, Ph.D., Dean Page bearing signatures is kept on file in the Graduate School. Copyright © 2011 by Ashli Dougherty All rights reserved ! TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures .....................................................................................................................v Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................vi Chapter 1. Introduction........................................................................................................1 Arguments Made Over Ownership of Cultural Property ........................................7 Arguments Made Against Countries of Origin ...........................................7 Arguments Made By Countries of Origin .................................................14 International Conventions and Their Effects on Museums ...................................18 The Hague Convention of 1954 ................................................................18 The UNESCO Convention of 1970...........................................................20 UNIDROIT Convention of 1995...............................................................23 ICOM Code of Ethics................................................................................24 AAM’s Standards Regarding Archaeological Material and Ancient Art...........................................................................26 Changing Museum Practices .....................................................................27 Chapter 2. Brief Social, Cultural, and Religious History of Afghanistan .........................31 Geography and Culture .........................................................................................31 Early History (Pre-Islamic) ...................................................................................37 The Spread of Islam and the Development of the Afghan State ...........................40 The Durrani Monarchy (1747-1973).....................................................................43 Communism in Afghanistan (1973-1989).............................................................52 The Mujahideen and the Descent into Civil War ..................................................60 The Taliban (1996-2001).......................................................................................64 Operation Enduring Freedom: America’s War on Terror (2001-Present) ...............................................................................73 Chapter 3. Afghanistan’s Battle to Protect its Cultural Heritage ......................................80 The Looting and Sell of Afghan Cultural Property...............................................80 The Revival of Archaeology .....................................................................82 The Business of Looting............................................................................84 The Taliban, Iconoclasm, and the Destruction of Afghan Cultural Heritage......................................................................91 War, Looting, and Afghan Museums ....................................................................96 The World Reacts................................................................................................107 UNESCO’s Response..............................................................................108 ICOM’s Red List of Afghanistan Antiquities at Risk...................................................................................111 Great Britain’s Efforts to Protect Afghan Cultural Heritage ........................................................................112 The Role of the United States in Protecting iii ! Afghan Cultural Heritage ........................................................................115 Afghanistan Responds.........................................................................................117 Chapter 4. Conclusion .....................................................................................................128 Bibliography....................................................................................................................144 iv ! LIST OF FIGURES 1. Shield created by The Hague Convention of 1954......................................................20 2. Looted site of Aï Khanum ..........................................................................................81 3. Map of Afghan archaeological sites............................................................................82 4. Before and after picture of one of the Bamiyan Buddhas ...........................................93 5. National Museum in Kabul in 2001 ..........................................................................100 6. Statue of Youth destroyed by Taliban.......................................................................102 7. Banner on outside of National Museum, Kabul ........................................................103 8. Museum-in-Exile, Bubendorf, Switzerland...............................................................110 9. Exterior of War Crimes Museum near Faizabad.......................................................139 10. Interior of War Crimes Museum near Faizabad........................................................140 v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vi ! CHAPTER ONE Introduction This chapter is an overview of issues surrounding cultural patrimony. One country that is currently experiencing staggering losses of cultural property to the black market is Afghanistan. Due to Afghanistan’s placement within southern Central Asia, it has long been occupied by humans and now holds the remains of their cultures. The country once held one of the richest archaeological records in the world and many excavations were conducted in the early and mid-twentieth century. However, since the communist coup in 1978 and the ensuing decades of war virtually no research has been able to be carried out. In addition to war, looting and vandalism have also taken a toll on archaeological and historical objects. Extensive looting began in Afghanistan when mujahideen warlords took control of the government in 1992, however, the condition of the museums and archaeological sites went largely unnoticed by the world until the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas and the United States invasion in 2001. Even then the coverage was short lived as the world’s resources and attention shifted to Iraq in 2003. In April of that same year, 15,000 artifacts were looted from the Baghdad Museum. Unlike the situation in Afghanistan, the looters’ actions were publicized and nations were quick to respond. International Council of Museums (ICOM) created an emergency Red List of Iraqi antiquities and several accounts and analyses of the looting in Baghdad appeared online and on bookshelves.1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1. For accounts on the looting that occurred in Iraq see Milbry Polk and Angela M. Schuster, eds.. The Looting of the Iraq Museum, Baghdad: