The British Museum and the crisis in Iraqi cultural
heritage
Introduction
The British Museum has been, and still is, at the forefront in
informing the public about the current situation and reminding its
visitors of the importance of Iraq’s archaeological and historical
legacy. This is achieved through gallery talks, lectures and study
days within the Museum and in the broader community. The Museum
continues to provide background information to the media, giving
numerous interviews on national and international radio, television
and press networks. We also continue to assist the great many
students researching various aspects of this crisis befalling
Iraq’s cultural heritage.
The current situation
Five years after coalition troops invaded Iraq, the Iraq Museum
is closed, with the doorways to the storerooms bricked up, some
8,000 objects remain unaccounted for, archaeological sites in the
south continue to be looted, and military activities have damaged
iconic sites such as Babylon.
There is a pressing need for action to protect and preserve the
Iraqi cultural heritage, particularly conservation work on sites,
monuments and material in museums and libraries. Unfortunately, the
deteriorating security situation has hampered the efforts of the
international community to provide assistance to the Iraqi
colleagues. Nevertheless, as declared by Neil MacGregor in 2003,
the British Museum stands ready to offer to the Iraq Museum, if it
is wanted by the Iraqi side, as much conservation and curatorial
assistance as it can reasonably provide. We will also continue to
draw attention to ongoing problems at every opportunity.
Much has already been written about damage to the Iraqi cultural
heritage as a direct result of the Second Gulf War and its
aftermath, and there is no doubt that much will be written in the
future. Apart from the Iraqis themselves, whose testimonials we
eagerly await, many foreign organizations and individuals have been
involved, directly or indirectly, in what has happened.
The problem is multi-faceted. It is not just about the looting
of the major museums, particularly Baghdad and Mosul, but the
destruction of libraries and archives, the damage to historic
buildings, the extensive looting of archaeological sites, the
illicit trade in antiquities, and now the undermining of the higher
education system. It is still much too early to produce a coherent
account of what has happened and what is happening.
These are subjects that will occupy the attention of many people
for a long time. In the meantime, it is important that those who
have had some involvement, however peripheral it may seem, should
set down what they know, so that in due course an accurate and
reliable picture may be built up. What follows is an account of the
work of just one institution, the British Museum.