Associated Press (11 January 2009):
Egypt’s Antiquities Chief, Zahi Hawass recently unveiled a
ten-inch bronze statue believed to be an ancient Mesopotamian
fertility goddess looted from Iraq. Hawass stated that an Egyptian
man working in Jordan was caught trying to smuggle the statue into
Egypt through Nuweiba port. Hawass has stated his office has been
tracking looted Iraqi artifacts since the Invasion of Iraq in 2003
and has recovered around 5,000 items. An advocate for the return of
Egyptian artifacts, Hawass refuses to deal with any museum that also
deals in stolen Iraqi antiquities. http://www.google.com/hostednews/
ap/article/ALeqM5iMj-FkjRS8tS6ccR0rQgUN-VyCYQD95L28200
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Jakarta Post (5 February 2009)
Two stone sarcophagi have been found within weeks of each
other in a brick-making site in Keramas, Bali. Brick makers also
found human remains. However, despite the estimates of the
sarcophagi being around 2,000 to 2,500 years old, the head of the
Bali Archaeology Agency, Wayan Suantika, has stated this site to be
of little archaeological importance. Suantika has stated it is
because of the relatively small amount of ceramics and pottery found
at Keramas, compared to sites such as Gilimuk. Brick makers at
Keramas unearth pottery daily at the site. Some experts say that the
items may date back to the Song and Ming Dynasties. The brick makers
break the potentially priceless ceramics embedded in the earth to
remove clay for bricks. The bricks sell for 10 cents a piece.
Udayana University archeologist Agung Rochtri disagrees with
Suantika's take on the significance of the Keramas site, pointing to
the volume of pottery and ceramics potentially dating across more
than 3500 years. Rochtri believes that the site may be of great
importance. However, because of lack of funding, its significance is
still unknown. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/02/05/
bali039s-ancient-history-10-cents-a-brick.html
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EurasiaNet.org NY (30 January 2009)
The National Museum in Kabul, Afghanistan has been newly rebuilt and is working both to restore damaged artifacts and review its inventory. The museum has lost over 70 percent of its holdings due to a succession of wars over the last quarter century, which resulted in the museum being looted, set on fire, and rendered inaccessible to staff periodically, as well as some of its collection specifically targeted for destruction. The Director of the National Museum, Omara Khan Masoudi, UNESCO, and the International Council of Museums is working to reverse this process, and at present is trying to identify looted pieces and encourage their return. Masoudi and others are creating a ‘red list’ of the museum’s former antiquties that will be illegal to own or trade. The museum is also in need of a security system, climate control, and proper illumination to better protect and conserve its collection. While Masoudi laments that there are not more museums available to citizens in Afghanistan’s provinces, he does hope the museum will educate Afghans about their multicultural heritage and that such education and appreciation, especially among the country’s youth, will protect the collection from future looting and destruction.
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav013009g.shtml
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The Art Newspaper, 28 January 2009.
Gaza’s only museum, the Antiquities Museum of Gaza, was damaged during the 22 days of recent Israeli strikes. In addition, archaeologists are concerned for the area’s many historic and archaeological sites because of the high concentration of such sites throughout the war-damaged region. The long history of armed conflict in the region has made continuous archaeological excavation nearly impossible, with the result that many sites have been left unexcavated and unprotected.
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article.asp?id=16827
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AP, 27 January 2009.
Following discussions between Greek and Iraqi officials, the Greek foreign minister, Dora Bakoyannis, announced that Greece has pledged financial and technical assistance to Iraq as it attempts to protect its archaeological sites and repair its museums. Also, as part of a cultural exchange, a monument to Alexander the Great will be placed at the site of Alexander’s defeat of the Persian emperor Darius III in 331 bce, now in northern Iraq. A team made of up Iraqi and Greek experts will meet to discuss the details of the offered assistance.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ifWe4BEN1ZF4O5nZmhwwEb4dOI1wD95VG5E00
http://www.reuters.com/article/artsNews/idUSTRE50Q5GA20090127
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