SPK MAGAZINE

ENGLISH 80 EDITORIAL IN FOCUS 81

DEAR READERS, THE OBLITERATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

t was this brick tile fragment that the Vorderasiatisches picture puzzle with Adolph Menzel, reconstruct Berlin’s con- Destruction, illegal excavations and illicit trade: The IS terrorist Museum received in the post last spring. A private indi- cert scene over recent decades and take a look at how work attacks on world cultural heritage sites have put the protection of vidual had decided on this unusual form of contact in or- is progressing on our major construction projects – the Mu- I cultural heritage on the political agenda. But the problems are der to make a gift to the museum. The tile, so we were told, seum Island Berlin, the Humboldt-Forum and soon also the came from South Iraq and had been taken from there in the Kulturforum. not restricted to the Near East. Insight into a global phenomenon 1980s ‘as a souvenir’. The museum’s scientific analyses con- As you can see, SPK Magazine appears in a new guise. cluded that the gift was a fragment of a tablet dating from This face-lift enables us to bring you our reports on the foun- the third millennium B.C. – with a dedication inscription of dation’s activities in a way that is not only more concise and the ancient Mesopotamian ruler Amar-Suena, who speaks of telling with a scientific approach, but also more entertaining. Isin, southern Iraq: having built a temple to the god Enki. We immediately con- Moreover, because the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz holes left behind after tacted the Iraqi Ambassador in order to return the object to has such a wealth of stories to tell, SPK Magazine will now be illegal excavations By Hermann Parzinger are not only rife in Syria and Iraq; they its place of origin. published twice a year. p. 22 are a global problem. Whether in Mex- This story illustrates what this issue will address: the I hope our magazine makes enjoyable and informative ico, Greece, Columbia, Mozambique, protection of cultural property. While this concept is seem- reading! Peru, Italy or even Germany – archae- ingly accepted worldwide as a matter of course, in these days ological objects are consistently being of shocking news from the Near East it is in fact sorely ne- osul, Nimrud, Nineveh – illegally stripped from the ground all glected. Illegal excavations and trade have been a matter of these places have by now over the world. The contexts of the finds concern for cultural institutions worldwide for years. For this M come to symbolise the de- are irretrievably lost in the process and, reason, late last year the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz struction of cultural heritage. Earlier (SPK) (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation) in associa- this year in Mosul and Nineveh, hench- tion with the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (German men for the Islamic State (IS) used ham- Archaeological Institute) coordinated a benchmark-setting mer and drill to destroy objects dating conference. Now that the inconceivable destruction wrought Hermann Parzinger back thousands of years. Then in April, by the terrorist militia Islamic State has become woefully top- President of a video emerged showing the demoli- ical, the global community must address the question of what the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz tion of an Assyrian royal palace in the it is actually doing in order to protect cultural property, and ancient city of Nimrud: a powder keg do so before everything is destroyed. Thus the production of is rolled into a room decorated with il- this issue of SPK Magazine is coloured by the events that have lustrations of deities; a massive explo- taken place in Mosul, Nineveh, Nimrud, Hatra and elsewhere. sion follows – and the viewer surmises Thanks to the good relationships maintained by the Vordera- that little remains of the erstwhile capi- siatisches Museum (Museum of the Ancient Near East) and tal of the Assyrian Empire. The IS claim the Museum für Islamische Kunst in Iraq (Museum of Islamic that they are thereby destroying images Art) and with Syria, we can not only report on what the IS has and symbols of idolatry. At the same done there, but also on what is now expected from museums time, the publicly staged iconoclasm worldwide – for instance with regard to saving Babylon. also sends a provocative message to the Apamea, Syria: traces of Further, our magazine leads you on the trail of ruthless Western world and its cultural identity. illegal excavations antiquities dealers and shows how Germany deals with ille- Reports regularly state that the IS gal treasure hunters. Because the protection of cultural prop- is funded for the most part by the illegal erty is not just a matter for others, we show you how we put trade in the antiquities that it takes from moreover, these finds are no longer it into practice – from the digitalisation of Islamic scripts to conquered sites. This allegation above available for scientific research. The the ‘back-up’ filming of files from the Geheimes Staatsarchiv all others has meant that the cultural networks for the illegal trade in cultural (Secret State Archives). destruction in the Near East has be- artefacts encompass the globe. This is We naturally have much to report from our institutions, come a mainstay of journalistic reports. not a recent development. For decades, which you can once again learn about in this issue. We solve a But illegal excavations and illicit trade illegal excavations and illicit trade have Krak des Chevaliers, Syria: damage caused by looting and wilful destruction 85

Aleppo, Syria: Al Zirb Souq, burned and destroyed as a result of fighting 86 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 87

been part of everyday life in many coun- presentation of the required export li- every-day basic necessities. Evidently, still visible. But today it is a ruin, where tries, on countless archaeological sites. cences and evidence that the seller has the interest in culture remains intact. children play. There would also be plenty AMIR MUSAWY The underlying reasons for this de- researched all the available registers of The people want to protect their cultural to do at Ishtar Gate, where for instance has lived and worked in Germany velopment are complex and occur on stolen cultural artefacts. The new legis- heritage – the heritage of all mankind. the already excavated foundations of for 15 years. For four years he was many levels: In many regions civil wars lation might best be summarised as ‘no Meaning that the destructive acts in the gate must be secured. Moreover, the head of the cultural department or the collapse of old nation states in re- trade without duty of care’. Mosul and Nineveh are also an attack whole site should also be made acces- of the Iraqi Embassy in Berlin. He gions dominated by ethnic groups have Our magazine is also an outcome on the cultural identity of Iraq, on a has also worked as a journalist for resulted in political instability. The ef- of this conference. We have noted the heritage that could be a unifying Associated Press and Deutsche fective protection of archaeological discussions, the reports from the cri- force for the whole country because Iraq lacks a solid Welle and in the Ministry of Foreign sites in these places is nigh impossible sis regions and the latest developments it recognises no religious or ethnic Affairs (Iraq) in Baghdad. He is due to the security situation, at least in and integrated them in our core theme. boundaries? education system for currently head of the Berlin office the short term. Moreover, cultural her- Indeed. Politicians in Iraq have archaeologists of Iraq TV. He is passionate about itage is becoming increasingly ideolog- now recognised this opportunity: At- archaeology and antiquities and ically and politically charged. In those tempts are being made to put this into is active in their protection. places where societies attempt to find Basra, Iraq: burned books in practice in every-day life in order to sible to visitors. A huge amount can be their cultural identity by way of a new the university library generate a new, different agenda for na- done in this respect and Iraq urgently MARKUS HILGERT nationalism or by rewriting the past, tional unity, which rises above religious needs and wants support. is an Assyriologist and director of the remnants of the past are often in- influences. Mosul is a predominantly In recent months the Stiftung Preuß‑­ the Vorderasiatisches Museum of strumentalised in order to strengthen Sunni city with few Shiites, but despite ischer Kulturbesitz has repeatedly the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – social and ethnic ties. The objects them- this, the grief, the anger about what emphasised the necessity of capacity Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz selves, as well as research into and transpired in Mosul is also felt in Shi- building vis-à-vis the research and (Museum of the Ancient Near East around them, therefore also invariably ite-dominated areas like Babylon and protection of archaeological cultural of the National Museums of Berlin – have a political dimension. On the other Najaf. I believe that this cultural prop- assets, and noted its own competen­ Cultural Heritage Foundation). From hand, there is a large and still growing erty is meaningful in a way that tran- cies and possibilities in this area. In 2007 to 2014 Hilgert was Professor demand for antiquities in the West. Mu- scends religion. which fields do you see the greatest of Assyriology at the Ruprecht- seums build on their collections and The Stiftung Preußischer Kultur­ demand? Karls-Universität Heidelberg. There among collectors, antiquities are still besitz (Prussian Cultural Herit­ Very clear priorities have to be in 2013 he founded the Heidelberg seen as prestige objects. What both OUR UNITY LIES age Foundation) and especially the set. In my opinion Iraq notably lacks Zentrum Kulturelles Erbe seller and buyer lack is the awareness Vorder­asiatisches Museum (Mu­ a good education system for classics (Heidelberg Centre for Cultural that for a trade to be legal, there must IN OUR PAST seum of the Ancient Near East) have scholars, especially archaeologists. We Heritage). Hilgert is member of the be proof of provenance. a long history of dealings with Baby­ know that there are many undiscov- team of experts of the UNESCO The trade in archaeological arte- lon. The museum has excavated there ered sites in Iraq, that there are areas project Emergency Safeguarding facts from crisis regions and the dif- with the support of the Deutsche that still have to be excavated and in- of the Syrian Cultural Heritage. ficulty of proving provenance is also The cultural destruction wrought by the IS in North Iraq has ­Orient-Gesellschaft (German Orien­ vestigated, even in Babylon and Uruk. finally being discussed in Germany. In plunged a whole country into mourning. A conversation tal Society) since the late 19th cen­ December 2014 the Prussian Cultural tury – which means that we still have Heritage Foundation, the German Ar- about lost identity, inter-denominational collaboration and a special responsibility today. What cheological Institute and the German what is required of Germany do you think we can do in order to Association of Archeology organised develop the ancient ruins, both in ac­ the two-day international conference ademic studies and for tourism? ‘Cultural heritage in danger: Illicit exca- There is a great deal to do there. vations and trade’. Here, archaeologist, The Germans especially are very wel- lawyers, cultural policymakers, inves- Edited by Kristina Heizmann heritage. I was in Mosul shortly after come in Iraq – the people there were tigators and art dealers discussed in p. 30 the terrible events [ed: the destruction impressed that I, with my German back- depth the causes of this problem – one of the archaeological museum in Mosul ground, travelled to Iraq, that the Ger- that also affects Germany, in as much documented in an IS propaganda video man media is keen to report on Babylon. as it is one of the main hubs for the ille- of February 2015]. I met people there There is a whole raft of measures that gal trade in antiquities. Germany’s new MARKUS HILGERT: Mr. Musawy, you who – although they have little to do Germany can implement there. On the legislation for the repatriation of cul- were in Babylon and Tikrit – what with archaeology – wept, actually wept, one hand, there is the protection of the tural assets is intended as a first step impressions did you bring back with after they had seen the effects of this archaeological sites and excavations. towards solving the problem. This will you? barbaric act. It was not something I re- Take for example the North Palace: At the Deutsches Archäologisches Zentrum: Iraqi journalist entail the obligation to furnish proof AMIR MUSAWY: The people in Iraq are ally expected, given the problematic This was excavated by Robert Koldewey Amir Musawy in conversation with Markus Hilgert, director of origin for each individual object, the still interested in their archaeological security situation and the shortage of and the structure that he excavated is of the Museum of the Ancient Near East 88 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 89

Babylon is now action by German politicians, by the po- and elsewhere needs to be revived. The That much on the history. Now, with lice authorities. Secondly, the religious communication between the institu- the painful events in Syria escalating a ruin, where leaders, tribal elders and politicians in tions should be made easier so that at an unprecedented pace and leaving children­ play Iraq itself should be made aware that information may be exchanged in an ef- their tragic impact on the Syrian scene, this is not about their country and their ficient and non-bureaucratic way, pref- our cultural heritage has been battling history, but about the history of man- erably by means of shared platforms for almost five consecutive years to sur- Support is definitely needed – also in kind. They need to understand how and networks. This is of critical impor- vive. Buildings and souks in a number order to secure sites that have already essential it is that they protect their tance and an absolute necessity. We will of cities were wrecked, including first been documented. In the Iraq Museum cultural property. Thirdly, the interdis- not completely resolve the problems by and foremost the city of Aleppo, which in Baghdad there are also countless ob- ciplinary collaboration between the re- these means, but we can at least combat calls to mind the horrors of World jects that still await accurate classifi- spective institutions in Iraq, Germany them effectively. War II: 140 historical buildings, thou- cation. Here, too, we need people that sands of shops in the old souks and have the necessary knowledge. The mo- hundreds of houses were destroyed and tivation to do so is there, but the know- damaged in the old city. Homs, Daraa how required is lacking, also with and Bosra are also witnesses to the de- regard to management. There are de- struction of Syria’s rich, diverse and mands in the field of exhibition design Fate unknown: The ancient city of Palmyra is a symbol of Syria’s rich, unique cultural heritage. and technology that must also be met – diverse and unique cultural heritage Following the fall of the city of how can a history be presented to the ­Palmyra under ISIS (or the Islamic visitor in an attractive way? State) control, the fate of this historic Where would one start? first and the first half of the second cen- city, a World Heritage Site, has become The know-how must be developed tury AD and the Temple of Baalshamin unknown, which will result in a real in Iraq itself, with external support. was constructed in the late second and tragedy befalling a great monument This means that courses at universi- early third century AD. As a result of of civilization worthy of protection by ties must be consolidated or reorgan- the flourishing international trade in all means. As we recall the practices ised so that these competencies are CITY UNDER the city the Temple of Al-lāt, the main of those extremist groups, including taught, and that funding schemes and street and the public market were built places have to be created for students. SIEGE as well. This would increase the appeal of going Palmyra flourished and was de- into archaeology and taking it up as a clared a kingdom during the reign of profession. Odaenathus’ dynasty between 235 and After the archaeological sites have The ancient city of Palmyra is under control of ISIS troops. 273 as a result of its economic growth been excavated they have to be se­ Syrians as well as the international community fear for the and military force. The city played a cured, as you have already men­ key role in the relations between the World Heritage Site tioned. Throughout the Near East, Roman Empire in the west and the Par- museums, but also archaeological thian Empire and, later, the Sassanid sites, are at great risk due to the po­ Empire in the east. After the death of litical situation. How can reasonable King Odaenathus his wife Zenobia suc- preventative measures be taken in ceeded to his position. The kingdom this context? By Maamoun Abdulkarim The ancient Palmyrenes made of Palmyra expanded to include vast The greatest threat for the archae- p. 34 profits from international trade as areas in the Levant, north of the Ara- ological cultural heritage is the illegal they were not a party in the wars tak- bian Peninsula, Egypt, Anatolia and trade in cultural artefacts. Archaeolog- ing place between the Roman lead- Armenia. Zenobia’s massive expansion ical sites and museums are being looted ers themselves and those between the in power threatened the Roman influ- mainly in order to sell objects. There are he ancient city of Palmyra is Romans and the Parthian Empire. All ence in this area. Finally, Emperor Au- Not eternal after all: three ways to combat this: Firstly, the located in the heart of the Syr- those factors took part in the architec- relian marched against Palmyra and images of ruins from Babylon buyers in Europe must be made aware T ian Desert, in a fertile oasis tural development the city witnessed in razed it to the ground in the third cen- that it is a crime to acquire an object, that made the city thrive and prosper the early first century AD, which was tury after demolishing its walls. How- the origins of which are neither trans- for ages. A spring named Efqa which mirrored in its religious buildings. For ever, between 285 and 305, Emperor destruction and pillaging, in a number parent nor authorised. Those who buy at gave birth to the oasis played a ma- example, the construction of the Tem- Diocletian restored the walls of the city of other historical cities – for instance, auctions are not necessarily acquiring jor role in the growth of this city as ple of Bel started in 32 AD and was not so as to protect the Legio I Illyricorum in northern Iraq – we do believe that something legal. Provenance must be evidenced by some inscriptions discov- completed until the second century AD. through separating it from the residen- ISIS militants’ full control of the an- proven in black and white. This calls for ered, indicating its sacredness. The Temple of Nabu was built in the late tial buildings. cient city of Palmyra poses a great 90 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 91

threat to world heritage as a whole and cultural heritage across those borders. threatened with extinction. Save what and plans were categorised according not just to Syria. It is a battle in which Syria and its neighbouring countries can be saved in this case means to doc- to content, and the names of the corre- barbarism defeated humanity, civili- must prevent the systematic damage ument the cases of destruction and to sponding locations and their geograph- zation, openness and liberation. We carried out by extremist and terrorist have all the relevant information ready ical coordinates were entered in the are deeply saddened and frustrated groups. For this they need the support for the eventual reconstruction. Aca- digital locations index Gazeteer. In the by our inability to prevent ISIS hordes, of the international community. demics internationally and people in coming from areas under their control, Syria have joined forces to realise pre- from entering the city. Nonetheless, as cisely this objective. To date, over we have seen before in other areas go- ‘When the civil war started we all ing through a time of trials, such as MAAMOUN ABDULKARIM fell into a state of shock, until it finally 50,000 slides, photos Idlib and Bosra, we have always put our is Director-General of Antiquities occurred to us to digitalise the existing and plans have faith in the local community. The lo- and Museums in Syria research and make it available as docu- cal community, we hope, will manage mentation and support for “day X”, for been indexed in a to protect and defend the archaeolog- the reconstruction,’ says Stefan Weber, ical sites in the face of all the difficul- director of the Museum für Islamische national register ties posed by these groups, who have Kunst. The idea grew and in 2013 the mastered the professions of killing, de- museum and the Deutsches Archäolo- for Syria struction and theft. Thus, we hope that gisches Institut (German Ar­chaeological Palmyra together with its monuments Institute) jointly launched the Syrian currently ongoing second project phase, will not be subjected to grave damage, Heritage Archive Project, financed by the focus is on rounding out the infor- and we pray for the workers of the Di- the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. mation and descriptive texts. Interfaces rectorate-General of Antiquities and The institutions began to digitalise their that support the export of image data to Museums to be safe from harm as they archival holdings and collate the infor- other international data platforms offer have spared no effort to defend their mation in a database. In the museum a compatibility which is essential so that heritage in the past four years. We also ARCHIVE OF alone, more than 50,000 slides, photos the knowledge content of the globally call on all Syrians to come together and unique database of Syrian cultural prop- unite with the intention of defending DESTRUCTION erty may be used internationally. our heritage, identity and shared mem- The international collaboration ory. Besides, we would like to empha- does not however first begin with the size that hundreds of important statues exchange over databases. Central to and artifacts were transported from The Syrian Heritage Archive Project of the Museum für the success of Berlin’s Syrian Heritage Palmyra to safe places outside the city Islamische Kunst der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin documents Archive Project was its early contact a long time ago thanks to the efforts ex- with various initiatives and activists erted by the Directorate-General of An- the cultural heritage of the oppressed country – as a basis and the antiquities authorities in Syria. tiquities and Museums’s staff. for reconstruction The activists in Syria, often employees Finally, we believe that we are or former employees of the governing bound to make mention of Resolution authority there, along with archaeolo- 2199 adopted by the United Nations gists and students, document the ac- Security Council on 12 February 2015, By Marna Schneider Project, which aims to gather informa- tual cases of wartime destruction and which reaffirms its decision on prevent- p. 36 tion on Syria’s vulnerable cultural her- provide important information, also ing and suppressing the financing of itage. Later, Ballouz and his colleagues about lower-profile, but equally valu- terrorist acts as well as protecting the will compare the latest information able monuments. Ballouz knows how endangered cultural heritage in Syria from the war zone with data from re- relevant this is: ‘The modern media and Iraq. We also hope that this reso- ssam Ballouz looks at blurred im- cent archaeological and art-historical would have us believe that they have a lution will be followed by executive ac- ages taken on a mobile phone. The projects and process it for inclusion in good overview of the situation. In fact, tions embodying the international will I irreversible destruction of a Syrian a database. we still know very little about the many, in preserving Syria’s cultural heritage minaret flickers across the screen of his During the years of war, the destruc- scattered small things.’ which is subjected to unprecedented laptop. Ballouz is half Syrian and had tion in Syria has assumed grave dimen- The international cooperation part- dangers and challenges. This could in- to return to Germany when civil war sions. The cultural heritage of a region in ners are by no means working solely clude measures by which the neighbor- broke out in 2012. At the Museum für which the alphabet evolves, mankind’s to combat the destruction caused by ing countries are obligated to control Islamische Kunst (Museum of Islamic oldest, continuously occupied cities are Positive partnership: direct acts of war. Aside from these, their borders and fight organised smug- Art) in Berlin he works for the adminis- found, and different ethnicities and re- project leader Issam Ballouz with Stefan Weber, looting and the trade in antiqui- gling operations that remove our tration of the Syrian Heritage Archive ligions have co-existed for centuries, is director of the Museum für Islamische Kunst ties are causing enormous damage. 92 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 93

Con ­sequently, the project has a further surpassed only by the drug trade. And, river: villages and arable land. People that the Moche culture that dominated urgent task, which is to monitor the in- PROJECT ASSISTANTS as the example from Peru shows, just have lived here for thousands of years; this region from 500–800 A.D. bur- ternational art market. ‘The deliber- of the Syrian Heritage Archive as global. In fact, this network of loot- one culture took over from another and ied their dead two metres deep. ‘But ate destruction of the cultural heritage Project at the Museum für ers, dealers and customers has a long one layer of burial sites lies on top of, or my uncle and I dug past those graves through illegal excavations is destroy- Islamische Kunst (Museum of next to, the others. It is a rich terrain. because I thought that there had to be ing the country’s cultural memory. That Islamic Art): Stefan Weber, The burial sites of pre-Columbian more underneath.’ is a crime against society itself,’ Weber Issam Ballouz, Karin Pütt, Eva- USD 75,000 for cultures lie next to a village cemetery. Seven metres below the earth’s emphasises. Preventing this would re- Maria Al-Habib Nmeir, Hiba The ground is scarred with holes, as if surface they found the grave of a priest quire a new mindset: an appreciation of al-Basir, Sermed Alwan, Mariam statues, mosaics for it had been hit by grenades. ‘We have from the later Lambayeque culture. Syrian cultural heritage, rather than the Bachich, Issam Hajjar, Zoya USD 175,000, price been digging here for years,’ says Telmo. ‘Lying in there were two masks cov- irresponsible sale of Syrian antiquities. Masoud, Diana Miznazi, Esper His son squats in front of a small pile of ‘With the illegal excavations we lose the Sabrine, Hans-Heorg Schöner, on request for bleached, broken bones. Other looters history, because the loss of the objects Cornelia Weber. have carelessly thrown away these hu- also means the loss of scientific content.’ particularly fine man remains after rummaging through The very different reasons behind the resting place. ‘Here,’ he says, and the destruction and the scale of the pieces points to green flecks on them, ‘this loss of objects and knowledge show shows that there was a copper object on how vital it is to make a thorough as- the body.’ His father stands next to him sessment of the situation. The project ­history – but it has become faster in re- and, with something like reverence, is therefore also working on the devel- cent decades due to the possibilities of says that he buries the dead after he has opment of a status index. For a reliable global transport. What is excavated to- taken something from their grave. overall picture however the documen- day can be found on eBay or other sales tation must become more methodical, platforms tomorrow. rather than case-by-case, which only The record of destruction reaches the international collaboration of in- far and wide, from mosaics from Pom- Confiscated artefacts smuggled formants, NGOs and institutions can ANTIQUITIES FOR peii to Buddha statues from India from Peru, often destined for Europe facilitate. Networking, most of which is through to columns from Angkor Wat. or the USA being done by the Deutsches Archäol- THE WAR CHEST The gangs of thieves often expend a ogisches Institut (German Archeologi- great deal of criminal energy in the pro- cal Insti­tute), is therefore the project’s cess: They work with pneumatic drills ered in gold and silver and around 300 greatest challenge: bringing diverse and lorries. The cultural structures that beads for a necklace from the same ma- initiatives together and boosting the The trade in looted antiquities is flourishing on the the archaeologists approach with such terial, as well as two rattles, also gold value of the data, from which the Syr- Turkish-Syrian frontier – but also elsewhere care are utterly irrelevant to them in and silver.’ The looter had hit the jack- ians especially benefit. their pursuit of riches. In countries that pot – a moment of happiness that he This is an important step so that, do not have the funds to protect their was to revel in for decades. For this find in addition to documentation, remem- great cultural heritage, the extent of the he received a few hundred US dollars, brance work may be taken forward. In damage is especially hard to measure. the middleman in the country perhaps this regard Stefan Weber hopes in fu- By Alexander Bühler office address in the USA shared by sev- Again, Peru provides an example: The Outsider trading: whether the a few thousand. The huge profit is first ture to be able to initiate a cultural ed- p. 38 eral companies. The recipient, accord- South-American country has 14,000 ex- pieces are genuine, where they made on the international market: At ucation project, because awareness ing to Homeland Security, could not be cavation sites – but just a few hundred come from and whether they Sotheby’s auction house in 1996 a com- of the relevance of cultural heritage ascertained. The second package was government employees protect these. finance IS atrocities is irrelevant parable mask went under the hammer would be its best protection. Even chil- to be transported by DHL to the small The consequence: Experts predict that to the buyers for 19,500 US dollars. dren can be sensitised in this way, as he smuggler was sure that the town of Grenzach-Wyhlen on the Ger- up to 80 per cent of Peru’s cultural as- International collectors and deal- a subsidiary project being tested in a valuable goods would not be man-Swiss border. In the language of a sets have been shipped abroad in recent ers take huge risks in order to get their school by project assistants Karin Pütt T discovered among the junk: secret service thriller, to a ‘dead drop’. decades. As if under a magnifying glass, Telmo comes to a stop by a wall, looks hands on pieces like these – among and Esper Sabrine shows. Whether this He folded the ca. 2000-year-old textiles In the subsequent lawsuit, the Peruvian here we can see what drives the looters around briefly and then points to a hole. them the Peruvian Raúl Apesteguía, for initiative can be further developed is from the Peruvian Nazca culture into dealer went free: The judiciary was un- and which circumstances they exploit. ‘Our forefathers were very wily.’ Af- decades one of the major dealers in art currently still uncertain, as is the fu- transparent plastic bags and stuffed able to prove that he, and no other, had The looter Telmo lives in Jequete­ ter all, looters existed even before the objects from pre-Columbian America, ture of the country. them between colourful T-shirts dispatched the package to the USA. peque valley, some 700 kilometres Spaniards arrived. There was a trick to whose customers also include German adorned with witty slogans. When the UNESCO estimates that the ille- from the Peruvian capital, Lima. Earthy finding eminent figures: excavating a collectors. He became involved with Peruvian police struck based on an gal trade in antiquities is worth mil- tones, steep hills, boulders and sandy grave that lay deeper in the earth than gangs that, if required, used weapons to anonymous tip, the first of two con- lions – as financially lucrative on the desert ground dominate the landscape. those of more recent cultures. Like a scare off archaeologists and police from signments was already on its way: to an black market as the illegal arms trade, Green oases are situated along the trained archaeologist, Telmo explains important sites. When he was murdered 94 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 95

in January 1996, the perpetrators stole systemized looting – like many groups dominated by the official Syrian gov- of the find in person in order to take a One thing he does know, says a significant share of his pre-­Columbian in the Syrian civil war who see cultural ernment, photos of soldiers posing with closer look. If satisfied, the IS experts ­Mohamed, is that in the IS antiquities American collection. Apparently in or- artefacts as an opportunity to stock up artefacts arrive in the public sphere. would then stick gauze to the surface office, the word is that the final destina- der to re-sell them – because some of their war chests. But the IS in particular has per- of the mosaic, lift it, roll it up and then tions are in Europe and Russia. There, the pieces turned up a few months later: ‘When the Islamists of the ­Al-Nusra fected the trade, believes the archae- have it smuggled over the border. That where the buyers are found, where all In the airport in Lima, in the luggage of Front conquered my home,’ says the ologist Amr al-Azm. He coordinates a would be the last step, says Mohamed. the other antiquities from illicit excava- a French collector on the way to Europe. Syrian refugee Sami al-Said from the re- group of experts who live in IS territory He does not know where the ancient ar- tions also go, whether from Peru or In- The gangs that sell stolen objects gion Deir er-Zor, ‘they first secured the and, at risk to their lives, secretly record tefacts then go, once over the border. dia. Thus, those who truly wish to stop rarely act so openly: The risk of police most important positions: wheat fields, what the fanatics destroy and what they The smugglers are the last known link, the cultural destruction wrought by investigation is too great. There are oil fields – and archaeological sites.’ For sell. One of the photos in his possession after which all traces disappear. the IS must start there. too many links to this chain, from the excavations in especially promising lo- shows the marks of an excavator on an middlemen to the forgers that produce cations the Islamists recruited a special archaeological site. ‘My source tells me,’ certificates of origin, through to the force that was escorted by armed per- says al-Azm, ‘that the IS is excavating dealers. The money that changes hands sonnel. This select group of looters was huge amounts of earth with road dig- in the process allows them all to live a given free reign to dig around the an- gers.’ Helpers hired by the IS would comfortable lifestyle. But there are fre- cient city of Dura-Europos for valuable search through it for valuable artefacts quently groups, for which the trade in objects. When the IS took this region that might be swiftly sold. That arche- antiquities also serves as a means to after bloody battles, it used the same ologically significant structures are underpin their political aims. Recently tactic. Only those who proved their loy- being destroyed in the process is some- it was the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia; alty to the Islamists were allowed to thing that the IS utterly ignores. The Is- now it is the IS (Islamic State) fanatics work for them. lamists are only interested in the money. IN THE PRESENCE in Iraq and Syria, who finance their war ‘In front of the camera, in front of us, not only with oil and hostages, but also the Syrian people,’ says Mohamed, ‘the OF CRIME with antiquities. Jihadists demonstratively destroy sa- It is not easy to meet the man who cred sites and massive statues.’ They ar- can explain in detail how IS terrorists gue that these are idols. But he believes make a lot of money with Syrian antiq- their true motivation is different. ‘They How the networks for the illegal trade in antiquities foster uities. Mohamed must first sneak across cannot transport and sell such large dishonesty, corrupt museums and defeat politics the Turkish border. Coming from IS objects.’ He has yet to see the Islamists territory, he takes the same smuggling blindly destroy a whole archaeological routes as the antiquities. In order to site. To the contrary: ‘Sometimes they protect against Jihadists who wish to only remove Sufi burial sites in order to travel from Turkey into IS territory, the see whether something more valuable By Neil Brodie of time and acting in concert with the borders are closed. The IS rule over an lies beneath,’ he says. p. 42 aim of committing one or more serious area that reaches from the Turkish-Syr- In order to sell these finds, the IS crimes or offences established in ac- ian border to near the Iraqi capital of operates according to the p­ rinciple of cordance with this Convention, in or- Baghdad and the regional Iraqi-Kurdish exclusivity with its customers. Accord- der to obtain, directly or indirectly, a metropolis Erbil. Millions of people are Looters hawk their finds on the ing to sources close to the archaeologist hen people think about financial or other material benefit.’ This at their mercy, as are many sites with Internet. Emails with such images are Amr al-Azm, it works with a list of trust- organised crime, they nor- more restricted though more realistic important archaeological remains. sent to friends and relatives in Europe worthy – and ruthless – dealers. These W mally think about the cor- idea of what might comprise organized In perfectly staged videos, fanat- or the USA, who forward them to receive photos of especially good pieces pulent figure of Marlon Brando in the crime alters the way we think about the ics from the IS have frequently spread potential customers or may send an emissary to the site of the hit movie ‘Godfather’, sitting at the antiquities trade, and about how the fear – or provoked indignation. They find, who makes an on-the-spot decision centre of a violent web of criminal in- antiquities trade might be regulated or show how they murder prisoners, det- on whether or not to buy. The experts trigue. The reality is more mundane but controlled. The antiquities trade can no onate Sufi burial grounds or destroy Even in those parts of Aleppo that are from the IS office would, Mohamed -ex at the same time more insidious. Small longer be considered a victimless affair, major world cultural heritage sites. But dominated by the oppositional Free plains, ask around US dollars 75,000 groups of otherwise unremarkable standing in stark contrast to the vio- that is far from the whole truth, says Syrian Army, looters are digging tun- for the statues, but significantly more people engaging in criminal activity. In lent Mafia-ridden world of the Godfa- Mohamed. ‘The IS has opened an of- nels through to the archaeologically for mosaics: US dollars 175,000. But the its Convention Against Transnational ther. It can no longer be portrayed as fice that hands out licences to excavate important layers. They do not hold back prices for mosaics vary a lot, becoming Organized Crime, the United Nations a harmless crime of gentleman thieves on an official basis,’ he explains. ‘The even from blasting their way through significantly higher again according to Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and romantic adventurers stealing functionaries there are amateurs and to the ground that they believe holds subject and degree of sophistication. states that ‘“Organized criminal group” buried treasures for the benefit of pres- experts, who take back 20 per cent of statues and ancient coins. And from For particularly fine pieces, the deal- shall mean a structured group of three tigious museums and wealthy collec- the looters’ profits in taxes.’ The IS has time to time, from areas of the country ers would sometimes even visit the site or more persons, existing for a period tors. Instead, new research has shown 96 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 97

it for what it is, a transnational organ- the Art Institute of Chicago and Toledo been acquired in 2008 by the National looters and thieves and those achieved that can be factored into pricing. Policy ized crime, with a corrupting grasp on Museum of Art, as well as the Royal Gallery of Australia for USD 5 million. on the international market are a com- should aim instead to develop appropri- public institutions and civil society and Ontario Museum in Canada, the Asian Other identifiable pieces from the tem- mon feature of the antiquities trade all ate law enforcement responses which links to violent militia groups. This pa- Civilisations Museum in Singapore and ple thefts were seized in the New York over the world. are able to identify and eradicate the per will flesh out this new and alarm- the National Gallery of Australia. raids by Homeland Security agents. The Several conclusions can be drawn small but organised criminal groups ing view of trade by way of a case study The case against Kapoor in ­India from this and other examples. First, the that comprise the antiquities trade. centered on India and will conclude hinged upon the theft of 11–12th antiquities trade is an organized crime, with a brief word on the shortcomings century Chola period idols from tem- The competition as it meets the UNODC definition of public policy as it relates to the an- ples in the towns of Suthamalli and Sri- contained in its Convention Against tiquities trade. puranthan in the state of Tamil Nadu. for attention means Transnational Organized Crime. Small, NEIL BRODIE In October 2011, the antiquities According to Tamil Nadu police, in that especially well-organized groups of criminals op- is doing research on the criminology hosted by the Stiftung Preußischer dealer Subhash Kapoor was arrested in September 2005 Kapoor visited the erate over decades to steal and smug- and economics of the antiquities Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Germany and in July 2012 extradited port city Chennai for a meeting with attractive pieces are gle large quantities of antiquities from market as part of the ERC-funded Heritage Foundation), the Deutsches to India, where he faces charges relat- one Sanjivi Asokan. Kapoor arranged countries all around the world. One of ‘Trafficking Culture’ project. The Archäologisches Institut (German ing to antiquities trafficking. Kapoor with Asokan for the theft and receipt sometimes bought the major social harms of organized printed case study is an excerpt from Archeological Institute) and the owned the gallery Art of the Past and of idols from the Sivan temple in Sri- crime is that it fosters corruption and his lecture held at the international Deutscher Verband für Archäologie storage facilities in New York City, sub- puranthan and the Varad­haraja Pe- without clear proof undermines the integrity of civil soci- conference ‘Cultural Heritage in (German Association for Archeology) sequently raided by US Homeland Se- rumal Temple in Suthamalli. Asokan of provenance ety. That much is obvious from this and Danger: Illicit excavations and trade’ on the 11th and 12th of December 2014. curity Investigations agents in January hired two local thieves for the Sripu- other case studies, with major museums 2013, who seized his business records ranthan thefts, who broke into the led into unethical and illegal acquisi- and 90 antiquities. Kapoor’s manager Sivan temple three times, removing tion practices. Although it is conven- of Art of the Past, Aaron Freedman, three idols in January 2006, three more National Gallery of Australia had pur- tional to consider the antiquities trade was arrested and in December 2013 in May 2006, and a final two later in chased the Nataraja with an associated in terms of looters, dealers and collec- pleaded guilty to charges of criminal 2006. For the latter theft the gang was letter of provenance dated 15 January tors, the case study also highlights the possession. Kapoor’s sister Sushma Sa- increased in size to about four or five 2003 stating that it had been in the roles of other actors – the shipping reen and his girlfriend Selina ­Mohamed members to cope with the removal of a possession of a retired diplomat who companies transporting material and were also arrested in New York and large, heavy Shiva Nataraja. After each had purchased it in India before 1971. the university academics and museum charged. Kapoor had established his theft, A­ sokan mixed stolen idols in with Clearly, the provenance was a forgery. curators actively and profitably engag- business in the 70s and dealt in mate- modern reproductions, obtaining ex- The National Gallery had failed in its ing with dealers and auction houses. It rial from a range of South and South- port documentation for ‘artistic hand- due diligence by accepting the letter at is only a small number of steps from the icrafts’. The material was shipped from face value and not contacting or other- actual theft or looting of an antiquity DARK FIELD Chennai by Ever Star International di- wise confirming the identity of the pre- to its purchase by a museum or collec- Statues of deities stolen rectly to Kapoor’s New York handling vious owner. Seized correspondence tor. Between two to four intermediate INVESTIGATION company Nimbus Import Export. In revealed the cordial relations that had transactions are common. from Indian temples February 2008, Asokan paid thieves prevailed between Kapoor and the Na- International public policy as re- are mixed with fakes, to steal a further group of perhaps tional Gallery’s director Ron Radford. gards the antiquities trade derives from 20 idols from the Suthamalli temple, It seemed museum propriety had buck- the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the The project ILLICID aims to expose the methods equipped with bogus which were shipped first from Chennai led under the pressure to acquire high Means of Prohibiting and Preventing and dimensions of illegal trade to Union Link International Movers in quality antiquities. The Nataraja was re- the Illicit Import, Export and Trans- docu­ments and sold to Hong Kong, and then on to Kapoor in turned to India in September 2014. fer of Ownership of Cultural Property. New York. The Indian investigation of Kapoor It emphasizes protection at source, museums The French Institute of Pondi­ also revealed something of the finan- broadly conceived to include infra- cherry maintains a photographic ar- cial structure of the trade. The gang of structure support and development as chive of temple idols which includes thieves that committed the final theft well as physical protection of cultural By Michael Zajonz Vorderasiatisches Museum der Staatli- east Asian countries, including India, images of all eight pieces stolen from of the Nataraja and one other piece and archaeological sites, and the re- p. 46 chen Museen zu Berlin (Museum of the Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, In- Sripuranthan and eight of the pieces from the Sripuranthan temple, num- covery of stolen objects. This policy has Ancient Near East of the National Mu- donesia, Cambodia and Thailand. He stolen from Suthamalli. From these bering perhaps four people, were paid failed. Protection at source is not effec- seums of Berlin), the joint project ‘Illicit had trading contacts in Hong Kong, images it was possible to ascertain together Rs 3 lakhs (the equivalent of tive because there are too many sites in trade in cultural property in Germany’ London and Dubai. His customers in- that one of the Sripuranthan pieces USD 6,696) to be split between them. what are often remote and poorly-acces- ark field research and crime (ILLICID) addresses this very issue. cluded major US museums the Metro- had been acquired by the Singapore The Nataraja alone was sold by Kapoor sible locations. Seizures and returns of prevention are not ­everyday Financed by the Bundesministerium politan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles Asian Civilisations Museum, another for USD 5 million – a price increase of stolen objects offers no real deterrence D topics for museum profes- für Bildung und Forschung (Federal County Museum of Art, the Norton by the Toledo Museum of Art, and the nearly 800 per cent. Large increases of for organised criminal groups as they sionals. Headed by project coordi- Ministry of Education and Research), ­Simon Museum, the Asian Art Museum, large Sripuranthan Shiva Nataraja had this magnitude between prices paid to simply impose a cost of doing business nator Markus Hilgert, director of the the subheading of the three-year 98 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 99

Mediterranean region, where it is rel- political situation in those countries atively easy to define the line between massive illegal excavations have been illegal and legal trade. The export of ar- observed in Iraq, Syria and Iran. ‘Our chaeological objects from Iraq (since project is a wonderful example of the METHADONE FOR 2003) and from Syria (since 2013) has social relevance of the so-called small been condemned internationally and academic disciplines, states Hilgert. ‘It DETECTORISTS objects of doubtful ‘Near Eastern’ or couldn’t be done without Assyriology, ‘Mesopotamian’ provenance are near Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and impossible to sell on the serious antiq- Egyptology.’ uities market. ‘I would be very keen to The Leibniz Institute for the Social Buried evidence of the Migration Period is still found in cooperate with representatives of sec- Sciences will design a questionnaire, the cremation cemetery in Tötensen by Hamburg. tors of the art market,’ states Hilgert. which will facilitate a systematic sur- ‘There is nothing to be gained from vey of up to 3,600 actors and inform- It is the perfect place to make archaeological assistants placing antiquities dealers under gen- ants in government agencies, museums of illegal treasure hunters eral suspicion.’ and trusts and in the art and auction While the associated project part- trades – online and, in sensitive cases, Multicoloured glaze, often with a floral design: ners of the ILLICID project include also in personal interviews. Methods examples of illegally traded objects are shown on ‘Red Lists’ investigating authorities, the main developed specifically for this pilot pro- By Ingolf Kern the Archäologisches Museum Ham- in order to raise awareness of smuggled antiquities project partners are academic institu- ject are to be tried and tested in respect p. 48 burg (Archeological Museum of Ham- tions: the Stiftung Preußischer Kul- of their practical relevance. Besides the burg), who digs small white boxes from turbesitz with its archaeological and scientific acquisition of knowledge, the his car to show what might lie here, un- classical studies expertise, the GESIS project’s findings should also percolate der their feet: ceramics, fragments of research project elucidates its trans- Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences into practical guidance, e.g., informa- ario Krause started off much glass vessels, ribbed beakers, pincers, disciplinary character: ‘Procedures for in Mannheim, which will coordinate a tion and training modules not only for like the detectorists who bone combs, the bracket of a brooch – the investigation of the “dark field” (i.e. survey of 3,600 individuals and institu- customs officials, investigating author- M wield their metal detectors all survivors of the funeral pyre. From number of unreported cases) as a basis tions, and the Fraunhofer Institute for ities and museum curators, but also art at night on Mediterranean beaches to the fourth to the sixth century A.D. this for combatting and preventing crime Secure Information Technology (SIT) dealers and auction houses, also always look for a few lost euros. Only for him was the site of a Migration Period cre- as exemplified by the illicit trade an- in Darmstadt. with a focus on raising awareness. it was the Salzgittersee (Lake Salzgitter cient cultural property’. As a developer of customised IT Archaeological exhibits of dubi- in Lower Saxony) and the spoils, fash- Hilgert previously worked as an solutions, SIT is tasked with scouring ous provenance or even illegal origins ionable chains, rings and bracelets. He expert for the Federal Criminal Police the Internet for illegal offers. To this are frequently found also in Western shows photos on his iPhone and it’s easy Office during his tenure as Professor of end, tried and tested processes of im- museum collections. What brings a to imagine the tears in the teenager’s Assyriology at Heidelberg University. age recognition and text extraction by no means underemployed museum room. As if by magnetism, he has been will be refined and the websites thus director like Markus Hilgert to address drawn outdoors by his metal detector investigated stored in a database so this controversial issue? ‘I cannot want for the past two years: ‘I had no idea that that they remain fully accessible even to work with my colleagues in Iraq, excavating could be illegal. I was just when they are no longer online. The but answer their question of how our fascinated with what has been buried aim of the research, built on expert ar- museum collections have come to- for 1000 years.’ When he and a friend Ancient or modern? chaeological knowledge but automated gether with: I don’t know,’ explains found a Bronze Age wheel-headed pin The archaeologist explains what in a subsequent work phase, is ‘a kind Hilgert. ‘The countries of origin expect they got a rap on the knuckles and should go in the buckets of meta description of illegal websites,’ us to be fully aware of how our collec- stepped out of the shadows of illegality. explains Martin Steinebach of Media tions came about.’ Mario Krause wants to legally do what Security and IT Forensics at SIT. he loves: to search for the buried past. mation cemetery. Over 2,000 people The objective of the overall project He wears his bright green cap must be buried here. Thirty years ago, is to gain not only insight into the illic- pulled low over his pallid face and archaeologists digging here excavated itly traded artefacts and entry routes, stands on in a field in Tötensen by 1,200 urns. Now, the ancient site is a but also ‘information on the patterns Hamburg this Saturday morning in kind of training place for archaeolog- There in 2013 he was asked whether he of behaviour, routines and networks’ of mid-March. Just like fifteen other men, ical assistants or, rather, for detector- wished to develop the methodologically the dark field of illegal trade. This will their hands dug deep in their work- ists. The aim is to bring willing illegal demanding project. Because the scope be achieved by means of a pilot study ing clothes. From afar they look like a excavators out of the grey zone, to legit- of the trade in archaeological objects is on the illicit trade in archaeological group of bikers who have lost their way. imise them so that they can work with so broad, Hilgert and his project part- objects from the Eastern Mediterra- They stand in a semicircle around lo- state sanctioned archaeologists. Being ners focus on objects from the Eastern nean region where due to the current cal archaeologist Jochen Brandt from certified by the regional office results 100 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 101

in a good reputation. There is no legal federal states are approaching tech- blows across land shadowed by wind- Schnitzel with creamed mushroom and dispel the impression that he is capti- entitlement. Each case is individually nology-obsessed adventurers in or- mills. There are a few braggarts among French fries, apparently the traditional vated by militaria: No, he wants to buy assessed, but the municipal archaeol- der to sensitise them to the ‘search for the men, who boast of the collections of detectorists’ fare. The finds bags are a detector in order to find out about ogists have in principle agreed to al- sites of archaeological interest’. Schle- shown around. Mario Krause sits at the this campaign for the museums. That is locate a search area when training is swig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-West- table with Hans-Erich Hergt and reads why he attended the course. ern Pomerania in particular are leaders aloud from his GPS the co-ordinates of A light rain begins to fall when in the field. Jochen Brandt adds that in his find, which he has entered on his they all return to the field. They will Thousands of illegal the north of Lower Saxony, there has finds label. Hergt is a lean, older man find only evidence dating from the late been a rapid rise in looting over the from Neustadt am Rübenberge, his modern age and shrapnel, but will be treasure hunters last one and a half years. ‘The detectors face etched with thoughtful lines. He united in the certainty that they will are out and about at are getting better and cheaper. Many is interested in Prussian history. The spend the odd weekend in fields, with illegal detectorists are just looking for Seven Years’ War is his subject, Scharn- spade in one hand and detector in the night in Germany militaria.’ Thousands of illegal treasure horst, especially the line between Göt- other – and now also bags, labels and, hunters are out and about in Germany, What the amateur archaeologist tingen und Bremen and ultimately the at best, the telephone number of the mainly at night. There are plenty of needs: probe, pointer and patience battle of Stöckendrebber of 1758, in office for the protection of historical complete. ‘The process is advantageous prominent finds from these ‘violations which more than seventy Frenchmen monuments. Mario Krause now also for both parties. We get new finds and of public property,’ complete with sus- lost their lives. ‘I would just like to know hopes to get his official permit, be- information relevant to our research. pended prison sentences for theft and stone axes that they hoard at home and where the battlefield was. Perhaps I can cause: ‘You get a thrill from it. It never Moreover, the illegal detectorists have are not quite sure what they are doing find uniform buttons or parts of weap- goes away. It’s like fishing: You never proven to be devoted to their search here. Masterfully, they by bend down ons,’ he says, then immediately tries to know what you’ll get.’ areas and more or less guard them on On site, the excite­ment to kneel, examine every shard, every behalf of the understaffed authorities, stone. When one of them calls: ‘Is this keeping looters away or even tracking is palpable. As with an urn, or is it from the OBI DIY shop?,’ them down,’ says Jochen Brandt. fish­ing – you never Jochen Brandt arrives to examine it. Not Lower Saxony’s archaeological to immediately dishearten the finder, he commission has invited the detector- know what you’ll get says things like: ‘Well, identifying ce- ists here for a hands-on course. Hauke ramics is an art in itself.’ From the DIY Jöns from the Lower Saxony Institute shop then, after all. If the find is mod- for Historical Coastal Research, who receiving stolen goods. The Nebra sky ern, it lands in the box marked ‘Junk’; if co-ordinates the courses once or twice disk in Saxony-Anhalt and the barbar- it is older, a plastic fork is rammed into a year, explains that more and more ian hoard in Rheinland-Palatinate are the ground as a marker. After the first just two examples. Gold fever is ram- round, there are more plastic forks than DIGITALISATION, RESEARCH, pant in the relevant forums, especially junk in the box. Of course, for the de- in South Germany where the spoils are tectorist the first adrenaline rush comes CONSERVATION: richer. For Jochen Brandt, the intangi- when he can switch on his metal detec- ble damage caused by such excavations tor and put on the headphones. When PROTECTION OF CULTURAL is huge, because ‘if we don’t know the that time arrives, the men rush to their context of the find, it can lose much of cars. Now they show each other their PROPERTY AT THE SPK its historical validity’. equipment, grin at the shoptalk (‘I’ve On the field, people spring into ac- got a G2, and you?’) like the boy you see tion. Here we go! The field has been -di on the wrapping of Kinderschokolade, vided with light blue string into squares a well-known chocolate bar for children. By Markus Hilgert, Kristina Heizmann the protection of cultural property play of interest. Small bags that look like ev- When they get going, it is easy to believe p. 54 for the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbe- idence bags from a TV crime scene are that it is the ground, rather than the sitz (Prussian Cultural Heri­tage Foun- handed out, along with pencils, finds la- detector, that lets loose a tortured yelp dation) itself? bels and plastic cutlery. The finds must when it surrenders its hidden treasures. The protection of cultural property be ‘calibrated’ with GPS equipment, i.e., With a pointer that looks like a torch, n the previous pages there is a question not just of will, but also of the precise co-ordinates must be logged. the clump of earth dug out by hand is was a lot of discussion on how knowledge. Research into cultural ar- ‘Gauß-Krüger, do you understand?,’ examined. Two copper coins, one belt O severe the cultural heritage tefacts harnesses scientific knowledge asks Hauke Jöns. Perhaps not. Some- buckle and pincers are unearthed – not of mankind is threatened. But what is from a wide variety of disciplines and what sullenly, the men start to walk a bad haul. actually done beyond all war zones to uses this to develop new methods and Order also prevails among the detectorists: with small colourful buckets across Lunch hour at Böttchers Gasthaus. protect the treasures in archives, librar- tools. It is therefore a transdisciplinary each digs his own patch the field, where a cold Siberian wind Almost all the men have ordered a small ies and museums? And which role does field of research, albeit one that is also 102 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 103

will be revealed in a new light. Associ- studio. The wax cylinders cross the ates of the university visit the museum, seas from Mexico to Germany. Moved learn about the historic objects, draw around during the turmoil of war, they from them inspiration for further stud- find their way first to Leningrad, then ies in their own communities and share back to Berlin. Today they are unique, their knowledge about the objects with of inestimable cultural and scientific the project partners in Berlin. In May value, because only very few historic 2015, the collaboration took on a digi- recordings of both ethnic groups exist tal dimension: An online platform was worldwide. In order to make them ac- Ethnologisches Museum developed in the scope of the project, cessible to the public, institutional and by means of which both indigenous and spatial limits have to be overcome, and Sharing museum-sourced ethnological knowl- Scarf of remembrance: experts at the Ibero-Amerikanisches edge about the objects can be collated, ‘Aids Memorial Quilt No. 22’ Institute (Ibero-American Institute) knowledge shared and discussed. The platform and the Ethnologisches Museum (Eth- will also become a part of the Amazo- nological Museum) are working with nia exhibition in the Humboldt-Forum, Würzburg, fixed means of identification mediating institutions and scientists By Andrea Scholz so that in future the public can expe- pertaining to sexuality, gender and cul- internationally to this end. One result Basket bowl of the Ye’kuana people of Venezuela in the rience the exchange of information tural origins are questioned in the light is the German-Spanish edition of the Ethnological Museum: objects are digitalised in order to share live. In doing so, the museum will be- of queer and gender theory. Specific CD ‘Konrad Theodor Preuss: Wax cyl- what is known about them with the communities of origin come a contact zone in which different objects, for example a football shirt, a inder recordings of the Cora and Hu- he Humboldt-Forum, scheduled cultures come together and innovative knitted blanket or a memorial quilt, are ichol from Mexiko 1905 – 1907’, which T to open in 2019, intends to rein- forms of knowledge and representation reassessed from this perspective. In the was issued in 2013 in the series Ber- vent the museum institution. It will are put to the test. process, the ways in which people de- liner Phonogramm-Archiv/Historische take a new approach to collections and velop social and cultural identities and Klangdokumente/Historical Sound objects: The objects will not be inter- how such constructs affect politics and Documents. In addition to the scientific preted and presented solely by the cu- society are called into question. rator, but also by representatives of inevitably dependent on individuals Research into cultural artefacts the societies from which the objects and institutions active in non-scientific in our collections aims not only to originated. The Humboldt-Lab project sectors, e.g., investigative authorities, conserve our holdings; it is also about ‘Sharing knowledge’ aims to transform Museum Europäischer Kulturen law enforcement agencies, NGOs and communicating to society the value the museum from a representative governments. of cultural heritage. In the follow- exhibition space into a place of col- The Stiftung Preußischer Kultur­ ing pages, we will present some of our laboration. In cooperation with the Queering the Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut besitz (Cultural Heritage Foundation, projects. Universidad Nacional Experimental SPK) carries out research into cultural Indígena de Tauca, a recently founded museum property across the board, because institution in which young indigenous The journey of Return of the ritual chants to the it has the necessary knowledge in the people amongst other things engage Sierra Madre Occidental diverse disciplines to do so – from an- with the knowledge and traditions of By Elisabeth Tietmeyer the chants cient studies, art and cultural studies their forefathers, the collection from to the natural, conservation and infor- Guyana in north-eastern Amazonia analysis of the ritual chants and their mation sciences, the social sciences By Barbara Göbel place in society, one important aspect and law. Numerous projects address ost of the objects in the Mu- for Barbara Göbel, director of the Ibe- the questions and methods of research M seum Europäischer Kulturen ro-Amerikanisches Institute and Mar- into cultural property. These embrace (Museum of European Cultures) origi- garita Valdovinos of the Universidad the fields of object-based basic research nate from Germany and were collected t is the early 20th century and Kon- Nacional Autónoma de México, who (conservational protection and care, in order to show the lived-in worlds I rad Theodor Preuss (1869 – 1938), historically and ethnologically contex- documentation and analysis), prov- of the middle and lower classes in the an ethnologist from Berlin, travels tualised the recordings, was to bring enance research, research geared to 19th century. The museum believes through the Sierra Madre in Mex- the recordings back to their place of or- combating and preventing illegal exca- that such an approach is no longer ap- ico. He carries in his luggage the lat- igin. They travelled to the Sierra Madre vations, looting and the illegal trade in propriate for this day and age – and est technology – a ‘phonograph’. He Occidental with the digitalised record- cultural artefacts and, moreover, legal The museum as contact zone: presents objects in a new context. To- records the ritual chants of two indige- ings in their luggage. Today, the Cora research geared to establishing an ap- students from Tauca (Venezuela) gether with students in the museum nous groups, the Cora and the Huichol, and Huichol still sing the songs re- propriate regulatory framework. visiting the Depot in Berlin studies programme of the University of on wax cylinders – an open-air sound corded by Preuss over a century ago. 104 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 105

However the CD also features some least parts of it – has been online since Prussian consul Heinrich Friedrich von The paintings were scientifically ritual chants that the people still re- 2013. With more than 2,500 digitalised Diez in Constantinople 1784–1791 and, analysed by art technologists and re- membered, but to which they had for- texts, it is one of the most comprehen- together with his collection of books storers in the conservation department Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin gotten the words. The response from sive collections worldwide. Nonethe- and manuscripts, found their way to of the Alte Nationalgalerie, assisted by the indigenous population of Tepic in less, the digitalisation and electronic the Königliche Bibliothek in 1871. several natural science labs and the the state of Nayarit and the ritual mas- analysis of the documents is a long- These contain illustrations that origi- museum’s own Rathgen Research Lab- Thermal ters of the Cora and Huichol was over- term process: in total, there are 43,000 nated mainly in the Iranian region from oratory, the Federal Institute for Ma- whelming. This breeds confidence for manuscripts and bock prints to record. 1400 to 1450. The albums preserve a terials Research and Testing and the images further projects of this nature, which Now, another step in the process wide variety of works that chart the de- Archeometry Laboratory of the Hoch- call for patience and constructive col- has been completed: The stock of over velopment of Islamic book illustration. schule für Bildende Künste Dresden laboration between numerous individ- 200 Islamic illustrated manuscripts, in- These books, along with all 8,000 (Academy of Fine Arts Dresden). The By Christoph Mälck, Martina Rebmann uals and institutions. cluding some 8,000 miniatures, has of the other miniatures, have now comprehensive restoration project been digitalised. Magnificent, richly il- been digitalised and may be accessed thereby delivered new insights into not luminated and illustrated Islamic manu- through the digital library. only Caspar David Friedrich’s painting scripts originate mainly from the Persian technique, but also the materials he n the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin tion of handwritten scores, and mak- world, where book illustration under- used and how they have changed, pro- I (State Library of Berlin) you will find ing these accessible. Part of the work went a renaissance from the 13th/14th viding a basis for rethinking the colour not only printed books, but also manu- involves the documentation of water- Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin century. Literary works were often il- compositions. scripts. Musicologists will also find what marks: A thermal imaging camera lustrated, religious texts less frequently. Based on the findings of the re- they are looking for – the largest collec- generates thermal images of the wa- Among them are, e.g., the Iranian heroic Alte Nationalgalerie search, a conservation and restoration tion of Bach autographs is stored along- termarks, producing copies in a pro- Islamic book art at epic ‘Shahnameh’ by Ferdowsi, or the concept was devised. In doing so, the side those of Mozart and Beethoven. cess that safeguards the originals. Khamsa anthology of the poet Nizami. conservation measures secured the The project KoFIM (Music Research Sheets of paper inscribed with dif- the click of a mouse Ottoman pilgrims’ guides or Arabic Total Recall original substance and the restoration and Information Competence Centre) ferent inks can therefore be reliably prayer books were likewise illustrated. work ensured the closest possible like- sponsored by the German Research examined. State-of-the-art methods Book art also flourished in Mughal India. with Caspar David ness to the paintings’ original state. Foundation is conducting research into yield new knowledge, which benefits By Christoph Rauch Among the outstanding works Friedrich Certainly, ‘Monk by the Sea’ and ‘The a significant proportion of the collec- scientists in Berlin and beyond. in the collection are albums in which Abbey in the Oakwood’ will be easier to calligraphy, miniatures, drawings and interpret in future; the truth of the mat- on occasion even copperplate prints ter will be revealed when both paint- he collection of oriental manu- were collated. In recent years, the five By Kristina Mösl ings are presented to the public once T scripts of the Staatsbibliothek zu so-called Diez albums have taken cen- again at the Alte Nationalgalerie at the Berlin (Berlin State Library) – or at tre stage. These were acquired by the turn of the year 2015/2016.

hey are perhaps the two most fa- T mous paintings from the period of German Romanticism and are among the main attractions on Berlin’s Muse- uminsel: ‘Monk by the Sea’ and ‘The Abbey in the Oakwood’ by Caspar Da- vid Friedrich. Painted between 1808 and 1810, over time the original sub- stance of the inspiring masterpieces at the Alte Nationalgalerie has been starkly compromised. Extensive, dis- coloured retouching and overpaint- Vibrant Romanticism: Micrograph of Autographs are photographed ing and up to seven yellowed layers of ‘Monk by the Sea’, 200 x enlargement with a thermal imaging camera so craquelure significantly diminish the with UV excitation that watermarks can be seen overall impression. Two years ago, the long-held desire to conserve and re- store both works was finally met with the generous assistance of the philan- Isfandiya-r kills two lions, from ‘Shahnameh’ (Persian Book of Kings) by the thropic foundation Alfried Krupp von Iranian poet Ferdowsi (11th century) Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung. 106 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 107

scope of which the images hitherto stored in their original packaging will Staatliches Institut für Geheimes Staatsarchiv Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut be transferred to a more suitable archi- Musikforschung val storage system and, moreover, digi- talised. In this way, the ‘collective visual memory of Latin America’ can be safe- The secret life A softer wash Latin America’s guarded, counteracting the progress of a ‘visual dementia’. of instruments visual memory The project thereby contributes to salvaged the preservation of the cultural herit- age of Latin America and the work of By Conny Restle By Sven Kriese the trans- and internationally operating German scientists in the region. It also By Gregor Wolff opens up access to further research. he files of the Geheimes Staats­ development of existing technologies The initial outcomes will be presented T archiv (Prussian Secret State Ar- and the design of special workstations, in the exhibition ‘Visual memory of chives), which are today still cloaked the process should be able to cope with he Glass Plate Collection of the Latin America. An expedition into the in a layer of soot, water from fire extin- the scale of the undertaking. To this T Ibero-Amerikanisches Institute The Glass Plate Collection of the digital Glass Plate Collection of the Ibe- guishers and construction debris due end, various parameters must be tried der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin) Ibe- Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut docu- ro-American Institute.’ to the bombing of the archive on 28/29 and tested: direction and angle of the ro-American Institute of the National ments the nearly forgotten history April 1945, or objects damaged by the blasting jet, appropriate flow of com- Museums of Berlin) is an important catastrophe at the Historical Archive of pressed air (preventing too much abra- source for research into Latin Amer- the City of Cologne – both exemplify sion), disposal of blasting abrasive, ica. The collection contains over 10,000 the immense clean-up challenge that testing of other blasting abrasives, ap- rare, for the most part unpublished im- archives must meet. But what might al- plicability for other cultural heritage ages on glass negative plates, glass low the cleaning of large quantities of materials and instituting and verify- slides and large format sheet film neg- paper to proceed more quickly? The ing quality standards. The soft particle atives. These valuable documents offer Geheimes Staatsarchiv and the Rath- beam process could present an alter- insight into Latin America’s archaeol- gen Research Laboratory are seeking native to manual methods of cleaning ogy, ethnography, history and geogra- the answer to this question in a joint the surfaces of objects that lend them- phy and also shed light on the activities Inner workings (still) unknown: project with additional partners. The selves to being treated en masse, and of the pioneers of Latin American Stud- alto-tenor rackett, ca. 1700 idea is to develop a semi-automatic soft complement the work of restorers on ies. The collection includes images of CONTAINERS OF particle beam cleaning process, utilis- individual files, where the contamina- the expeditions and research topics of ing blasting abrasives that are safe in tion extends deep into the folds. the leading German-speaking research- THE PAST -D computed tomography is ide- conservation terms. With the further ers in the fields of American anthropol- 3 ally suited for the analysis and ogy (Walter Lehmann, Teobert Maler, documentation of musical instru- Eduard Seler, Max Uhle), ethnology ments, although it presents specific (Paul Ehrenreich, Wilhelm Kissenberth, Even in the digital age, the cultural memory of technical challenges to its standard Robert Lehmann-Nitsche) and geogra- the German people is stored in a disused adit. application. Criteria for the high-res- phy (Hans Steffen) as well as regional olution 3-D imaging of instru- and propagandistic depictions of Brazil A visit to a classified location ments are being developed by the (Guilherme Gaelzer-Neto). Glass break- project MUSICES, sponsored by age, the separation of the image layer the Deutsche Forschungsgemein- from the base and fungal infestation schaft (German Research Foundation). pose a threat to the fragile originals. By Birgit Jöbstl an apt description for our journey, Berlin’s Staatliches Institut für Musik- The images are also vulnerable to fad- p. 62 which leads us into the chilly gloom of forschung (State Museum for Musicol- ing and darkening. Although appropri- a mining world that is hardly the stuff ogy) and the Ethnologisches Museum ate archiving can lengthen the lifespan of fairytales. Silver, lead and zinc have (Ethnological Museum) and additional of the glass negatives and large format n the Black Forest there is a moun- been mined here for centuries. The Bar- partners are establishing policies and sheet films, the loss of the images is un- tain with a name that could only barastollen mining tunnel still bears working on the development of data for avoidable in the long term. Germany’s I have been thought up by a story- testimony to that. While the moun- international open-access data banks, Jets or compressed air? In future, papers will be cleaned in Commissioner for Culture and the Me- teller: ‘Schauinsland’. This translates lit- tain pastures are bathed in a summer- e.g. Europeana and MIMO. a more conservation-friendly way dia has now financed a project, in the erally as ‘look into the land’ – perhaps like 25 degrees, inside the mountain 108 IN FOCUS IN FOCUS 109

and Disaster Assistance, and is there- them takes around 1,900 recordings much more per year than the Barbar- fore responsible for the underground every day. astollen, for which our spend is only archive. As a ‘preventative measure in One can only guess how long it around 20–30,000 euros per year.’ times of peace’ archive materials have would take them to record the vast ar- The journey the microfilms take to been filmed and stored since 1961, be- chive holdings. And again this begs Freiburg then continues from the cli- cause valuable documents, of which the question of whether, in the age of there is always only a single specimen, Google and digital libraries, there are are irreplaceable historical sources for no other methods of preserving knowl- the grand narrative of the past. edge. Of course, the files could also But how does the information get be digitalised. But ultimately, for stor- into the containers? We retrace its age, a permanent and easy-to-use me- journey and arrive at the Geheimes dium is required and therefore the Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz image must be developed on micro- (Prussian Secret State Archives), which film, regardless of whether a digital or has been microfilming for years, and analogue recording technique is used. that with a minimum of fuss. Chief ar- This is the standard approach, not only chivist Paul Marcus comes straight to in Germany: Archives and libraries 70 per cent humidity, 10 degrees the point: ‘Just black writing on a white worldwide use microfilming in order to Celsius: microfilms (‘back-up films’) the humidity lies at a constant 70 per background, nothing else!’ It is not safeguard their holdings over the long of nearly a billion pages of archive cent and the temperature at around about the beauty of a document, but term. Paul Marcus does not tire of em- materials are stored here in airtight 10 degrees Celsius. From Oberried by about its content. Marcus lays a small, phasising the advantages of analogue stainless steel containers Freiburg we have travelled along nar- orange-coloured paper box on the ta- records: ‘Under optimal storage condi- row winding roads past farms set in tions, polyester films last around 500 a lush green landscape to finish the years! Electronic data has to migrate mate-controlled basement of the Secret last leg on a gravel track. A nonde- Impossible for to new techniques and formats all the State Archives to Munich. Here, the script iron-barred gate marks the en- time and its half-life is significantly company MFM Hofmaier splices ten of trance to the adit. Set into the ground a server: shorter. What’s more, with microfilms them at a time onto a large reel. It has in front of it are three blue and white microfilms last you don’t need technical resources in done this since the 70s – the compa- symbols arranged in a triangle, an em- order to read the content; light and ny’s senior director Dietrich Hofmaier blem that indicates that this place, as over 500 years some kind of enlarger are enough.’ quasi holds the patent for it: ‘In the be- the only one in Germany, is under spe- Bernhard Preuss notes another ad- ginning the microfilms were stored in cial protection by UNESCO. There are vantage: ‘You could never store digital the federal archive, but in the mid-60s only around ten such locations world- ble: ‘The first microfilm made in the records so cheaply. Just the storage ca- the idea of using an adit came up. In a wide. But what links this hidden place Secret State Archives!’ Microfilmed in pacity that you would need would cost report in 1972 I recommended splicing in the Black Forest with, for example, 1961, stamped GStA PK, XIV. German the microfilms onto reels and stacking the Vatican City State? It is its con- Army Office West Prussia, Unit 180, these on top of one another like coins.’ tent: Microfilms (‘back-up films’) of Government of Gdansk, no. 75. ‘That The proposal was taken up by the then nearly a billion pages of archive mate- was still a thick film stock, 30 metres Office for Civil Protection, which how- rials from all over Germany are stored long, 35 millimetres wide. Today we ever decided not to air-condition the here in airtight stainless steel contain- use a thin film stock, 65 metres long. entire storage space as the Swiss were ers. The Barbarastollen is the central There’s room for around 2,800 photos doing, but the stainless steel contain- storage site of the Federal Republic of on it and because the film isn’t perfo- ers themselves, which must be main- Germany – a seemingly anachronis- rated like the standard film stock, we tained at 10 degrees Celsius and 35 per tic place in the digital age, but more se- can use the space right up to the edges.’ cent humidity. cure than all Clouds in the world. The workrooms for the microfilm- Dietrich Hofmaier actually wheeled Since the adoption of the Hague ing are located in the Secret State Ar- the first containers into the Barbara­ Convention of 1954, designed to protect chives, right under the roof. In this stollen in a handcart in 1975. The un- cultural property in the event of armed dimly lit space three employees oper- derground tunnel was set up in 1905 as conflict, Germany too has had to con- ate automatic book cradles, which with a transport tunnel for the mine above sider how this could be done, says Bern- a soft whirring sound press the books it, but it was shut down just a few years hard Preuss, director of the department from underneath onto a glass sheet, later because the mine no longer pro- for the protection of cultural property and routinely release the shutters on duced enough ore. Although it now has of the Federal Office of Civil Protection the large cameras fixed above. Each of a shotcrete lining, we can feel and smell 110 IN FOCUS

the damp just a few feet into the moun- confirmed a few years ago. A significant are also recorded, provided they are of tain. Three iron-barred gates, each of number of containers had to be opened national significance. For example, the which must be unlocked with a differ- in an emergency. The historic archive of documents of the Aufbau-Verlag (the ent key, must be passed before we reach the City of Cologne had collapsed and biggest publisher in the former GDR) a pressurised door set into the tunnel over a million pages on back-up film stored in the Staatsbiliothek zu Berlin wall 330 metres further on. ‘Only the were now needed in order to build up were classed as historical and therefore a new, digital archive. The importance of academic interest and brought to the of the back-up filming can hardly have Black Forest in 2006. If the originals are been more clear-cut. The holdings of the Prussian Min- On the way to the exit we ask who istry of Justice were all filmed at the lost, a container is actually decides what is stored here, Secret State Archives, along with 60 simply opened and whether priorities are set. The an- per cent of the finding guides. Work swers are found in the official regula- will soon begin on the Treasury files, tions for the microfilming of archive which means some 1,887 linear me- materials issued by the Federal Minis- tres of archival materials and work for security company’s man knows the try of the Interior. Storage is decided what seems like an eternity – well over 13-digit combination for that,’ explains by priority. Level 1 ranges from offi- ten years, according to the people in Lothar Porwich. Employed by the BBK, cial documents and hand-drawn maps charge. Will there still be room in the Porwich’s enthusiasm for this hidden and plans to 30 per cent of the archive tunnel by then? ‘Not to worry, we’ll world in the mountain is evident on the holdings pre-1800 and 15 per cent of take care of that,’ says Lothar Porwich rare occasion he brings visitors here. the archive holdings post-1800. The with a laugh. When we are finally out- Moving though a small antechamber, responsible archivist in each case de- side again in the warm spring sun, he we finally arrive in the storage rooms, cides exactly what is included in this. hands us brochures about the work of set out over a length of 100 metres par- It is however important that not only the Federal Office of Civil Protection. allel to the mining tunnel, under about individual items of significance, but Along with a spectacle cloth with the 200 metres of stable gneiss. entire collections, are microfilmed in UNESCO special protection emblem: The containers lie in rows of three order to preserve the historic context. ‘The protection of cultural property is on two stacked racks. A good two- In addition to government records, in everyone’s business! There is no future thirds of the underground tunnel is special cases private archive holdings without a past!’ How true. filled in this way. Despite the cramped space, the microfilms are relatively easy to find: Before it is spliced, each film is given a registration number; 320 reg- istration numbers are listed under one container code. Thus the first film to enter the Secret State Archives has the registration no. 156634 and is stored in container no. 474. In order to reach this, Porwich has to climb onto one con- tainer and push another out of the way. But he would never open a container in the tunnel. ‘That would never happen. If we were to open a container, it would be done in Hofmeier’s rooms in Munich under the supervision of an archivist.’ Spot checks are made on ten contain- ers every year. So far, there have been no complaints. Even when mould had formed on some of the containers due to the high humidity level, everything inside was intact. The importance of the adit, in- deed quite what a blessing it is, was