special report ABOVE The Assyrian palace at Nimrud is blown up by Islamic State militants. Prophet and profit LEFT Nimrud, before the explosions. Experts in the field report from Iraq and Syria on the archaeology lost to Islamic State ideology, and looting to fund terrorism. n her memoir Come Tell Me How You Live, Agatha Christie, of tribute from defeated enemies. Though finds from earlier wife of the British archaeologist Max Mallowan, describes excavations now adorn some of the great museums of the world the happy life of the expedition digging at Chagar Bazaar in – the Iraq Museum, the British Museum, the Louvre – an inspired Ithe Jezirah region of north-eastern Syria. The idyllic scene she programme of excavation and restoration in more recent decades paints was interrupted by WWII, but afterwards they returned had created a unique archaeological park in which one could to the Near East and went on to excavate at Nimrud in a project actually walk round an Assyrian palace with many of its sculptures that was to become one of the defining contributions of British in situ. Tragically this is no more. The building has been largely archaeology in the 20th century. How horrified they would be to destroyed by Islamic State (IS), whose infamous video shows see what has become of that wonderful place. them prising sculptures off the wall, smashing others, and finally Nimrud is unquestionably one of the most important sites blowing up this monument. of the ancient world, a capital city of ancient Assyria through Hatra, 70 miles southwest of Mosul and a jewel in the desert, its time of high empire in 9th-7th centuries BC. The palace has similarly been mutilated. A caravan town with roots in deep of its founder Ashurnasirpal II was guarded by great human antiquity, Hatra was famous for its glorious temples and palaces headed winged bulls (lamassu) and adorned with sculpted reliefs dating to the 1st centuries AD, and testament to the immense depicting guardian spirits, the king waging war, and the receipt wealth generated by the trade which flowed through the city. It was a multi-cultural crossroads which represented everything that IS does not: amazingly cosmopolitan with a rich blend of religious influences from every direction. A unique inventory of statues Some of the infidel proved that Mesopotamian, Persian, Greek, and Aramean deities were all venerated in the city; it was a society characterised by organisations say the religious tolerance. Other statues portrayed the rulers and leading destruction of these citizens dressed in richly embroidered garments. Some were still at the site, others were on display in the Mosul Museum. Many now alleged artefacts is a war appear to have been destroyed by IS. Other statues, however, went crime. We will destroy your to Baghdad, and these thankfully are still intact. artefacts and idols Challenging times The cultural heritage crisis in Iraq and Syria represents the largest anywhere, and Islamic challenge for the international heritage community since WWII. In Iraq, IS's deliberate destruction of archaeological sites represents State will rule your lands. the leading cause of heritage damage: scores have been destroyed. Islamic State (IS) spokesperson, 10 April 2015 This most recent wanton and wicked vandalism is only the latest in IS's depraved history of wholesale destruction of cultural heritage. 10 CURRENTWORLDARCHAEOLOGY Issue 71 LEFT Deliberate destruction of architectural features at the ancient city of Hatra in Iraq. BELOW An Islamic State terrorist defaces an Assyrian lamassu at Nimrud. UPFRONT BELOW LEFT Islamic State militants destroy ancient artefacts on display in Mosul Museum. SPECIAL REPORT Hatrene sculpture smashed to smithereens (and sadly, contrary to earlier reports, the majority were indeed originals and not replicas). The deliberate destruction Some looting has also been reported in northern Iraq, though thus far most of the thefts have involved cultural repositories and of heritage is a war crime private collections rather than illegal excavations at archaeological sites. And last but not least, we must be aware of the severe damage UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova to the intangible heritage of the region. The numerous churches in Mosul once echoed to the beautiful chanting of ancient Christian IS largely targets Islamic heritage for annihilation, particularly liturgies. It is a precious tradition. But the destruction of the Shia and Sufi religious sites, though recently pre-Islamic heritage churches and the fleeing of the Christian communities pose a new has been the focus of highly publicised atrocities. Mosul has peril to this already fragile heritage too. been stripped of its monuments as mosques, shrines, churches, The situation in Syria is far more complex, and the level of libraries, and statues have all been levelled. Nebi Yunus, the destruction is staggering. Between July 2014 and February 2015, mosque dedicated to the prophet Jonah and a famous landmark more than 470 incidents of damage have been documented. of the Mosul skyline, has been blown up. The wonderful museum Since February, the frequency of damage incidents has remained at Mosul has been ransacked and masterpieces of Assyrian and high. Illegal excavations represent the most commonly reported DR TINA GREENFIELD REPORTS ON THE ASSYRIAN PALACES IN IRAQ. The jihadist militant organisation Islamic State (IS) has a clear agenda: to erase the link between ancient Mesopotamia and the modern day indigenous populations of Iraq and Syria. This region is known as the cradle of civilisation, where the first plants and animals were domesticated, and where the first cities and writing emerged. IS intends to 'cleanse' the world of idolatrous images, words, and people, and attacks on the cultural and archaeological heritage of Iraq have escalated over the past few months. Between January and March 2015, videos made by IS have surfaced, showing them smashing archaeological statues and taking sledgehammers to ancient artefacts. Three of the four Imperial capital sites of the ancient Assyrian empire – Nineveh, Nimrud, Khorsabad – have been severely damaged. With each lost life, artefact, cultural monument, or archaeological site, the link between the present and ancient Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilisation, crumbles further. The ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh (ancient Küyünjik), home of Sennacherib (705-681 BC), is the most well-known site damaged by IS. Located in the city of Mosul, Nineveh has recently been deemed the most continued over ABOVE Carvings from Khorsabad that are safely held in the Louvre, Paris. www.world-archaeology.com CURRENTWORLDARCHAEOLOGY 11 ABOVE Taking jack-hammers to obliterate evidence of Mesopotamia's glorious past at Nimrud. LEFT IS placed barrels filled with gasoline against the friezes at Nimrud, and then detonated them – on camera. source of damage. Analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery, stolen cultural property flow out of Syria and Iraq at major border narrative reporting from in-country sources, and large-scale rapid crossings such as Tell Abyad (Syria)–Akçakale (Turkey) that bring response surveys indicate looting is widespread, lucrative, and fighters and weapons into the conflict zone. usually targeted to achieve maximum returns. Patterns in looting follow those of the pre-conflict era, but as the war has progressed, War on culture looting has expanded to new sites and has become far more While looting is ubiquitous in Syria, other damage incidents intense and targeted through the use of heavy machinery, metal inflict far more deleterious impacts. Thefts from cultural detectors, and large gangs of workmen. repositories, deliberate combat damage, massive tunnel bombs, All major belligerents in the Syrian conflict are culpable in these intentional destructions of heritage places, unregulated building, crimes. The most intense looting occurs in territory controlled and neglect due to diminished cultural infrastructure are rapidly by IS, although ascribing illegal activities to specific factions is and irreversibly erasing much of Syria’s cultural heritage. While difficult since militants seldom directly engage in the looting, all belligerents have committed cultural property crimes, Jihadi- trafficking, and sales of antiquities. Rather, IS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and Salafi groups such as IS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and Islamic Front inflict other groups act as capacity builders for cultural property crimes by the greatest damage given their systematic and intentional encouraging, organising, and funding them. These organisations targeting of cultural heritage for liquidation for financial gains tax the rights to engage in looting, trafficking, and antiquity sales, and radical ideological and propagandistic objectives. While and then also tax the proceeds. As in other criminal activities other combatants incorporate cultural heritage management and such as crude oil and fuel sales, armed groups can derive income preservation in their political and military infrastructures, these at several points in these revenue streams through their control of radical rogue states and non-state actors are engaged in an open resources, international contacts, and transportation routes and war on cultural diversity that will haunt us for decades to come. border crossings. Large numbers of antiquities are crossing into The international community must do everything it can to Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan on their way to Greece, Bulgaria, stop this. Primarily, this is going to have to be by the