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Friday, 8 July 2011
CULTURE AND ART IN IRAQ · BAGHDAD 1978
Protection of Antiquities in Iraq · Forty years ago!
The Directorate General of Antiquities bears the technical responsability of protecting archaeological sites throughout the country, exceeding 20,000 sites in number. We have set up periodical inspection campaigns at these sites to asses their situation and safty needs. The Directorate of Exploration and Protection of Arcgaeological Sites in the Directorate has delegated a number of inspection boards, composed of specialists in various fields of archaeology, to survey the sites throughout the country and define new sites and unexplored areas.
Following are the main activities in this field:
1. The publication of a large guide entitled The Archaeological Sites of Iraq, showing names and location of defined sites, categorized according to governorates of the country.
2. The publication of the Atlas of the Archaeological Sites of Iaq, containing detailed maps of sites in each governorate.
3. The survey boards have recorded more than 1000 new sites, which have been marked on the archaeological map of Iraq.
4. Archaeological surveys have been undertaken in various areas where there are irrigation and drainage projects.
5. Our technical staff are represented in all Committees formed by various governmental departments concerned with agricultural areas, irrigation and drainage projects, building roads and bridges; and also committees on basic planning of towns and villages or any committees on a project of public interest.
6. The Directorate has been influential in setting aside a number of historical buildings in order to preseve their distinctive architecture. The Directorate must now be notified before any old building may be renovated. We have also limited the incursion of modern buildings on old and traditional buildings, a phenomenon of growth of population and extension of buildings.
7. Publication of 15 maps in English, covering archaeological sites of the United Arab Emirats . 15,000 copies in colour have been released.
8. As a chapter in cultural cooperation among Arab countries, we have delegated a number of our archaeological boards to the United Arab Emirates, the Popular Democratic Republic of Yemen, the Arab Republic of Yemen and to Bahrain. Those boards have defined sites.
9. All transactions concerning land allotment for various investments in the social and private sectors have been completed. Archaeological sites found on those lands have been set aside.Legal Protection of Antiquities Since the July 17 Revolution of 1968, the Establishment has taken serious steps to protect our antiquities by all legal methods. In 1969, a Legal Section was set up to see to the application of the Law of Antiquities and its addenda. A number of cases were handled through legal channels to check violations.
These measures include:
1. Pursuing smugglers of antiquities and the dealers associated with them. Our archaeological sites used to lie open to thieves and smugglers who carried some of our treasures to international markets. But, after the July 17 Revolution, the Directorate could check those dealers by accelerating the pursuit of thieves and smugglers at ports and frontier-posts. A number of local and foreign smugglers were apprehended and given their due punishment. Antiquity dealers were put under strict supervision and a number of stolen objects were reclaimed and the dealers punished.
2. Legal measures were undertaken against the incursion of modern buildings into archaeological sites, whereby a number of buildings of historical significance were saved.
3. Emergency amendments were introduced to Antiquitiy Law No.59 of 1936 to provide for the preservation of our antiquities, a measure emphasized by July 17 Revolution. These amendments were Law No.120 of 1974, and Law No. 164 of 1975, whereby: A -- Possession of antiquities by individuals became illegal. B -- Chapter IV of the Antiquity Law was deleted,concerning dealing with antiquities. C --Exportation of antiquities was prohibited, except by the Directorate, and for study, exchange display purposes alone. D -- Foreign excavation mission were stopped from taking a share of original antiquities found, hereby all such findings became the property of the State. E -- More Severe punishments were introduced into the Antiquity Law to provide greater safty of findings. F -- Theft of Directorate possessions was made liable to more severe punishment and fines. Such provisions had been lacking in the previous law.
4. A number of notices were published in the Government Gazette about archaeological sites and buildings.
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