Democracy does not need archeology

[DAVOUT]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4461755.stm

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Thats really a huge shame.

Iraq is historically one of, if not the, most imporant places of the Academic world. Losing so much of that history is a big loss to everyone.

[Ecthy]

And whose fault is it? Plunderers, NOT Amerian soldiers as implied in the article

[DAVOUT]

It reminds me of Lavoisier who was condemned to death in 1794 because "the Republic does not need scientists". I can imagine Rumsfeld telling a scolar worried about places in Iraq that should not be looted or destroyed : "democracy does not need archeologists".

[Gibsie]

Originally posted by Ecthelion
And whose fault is it? Plunderers, NOT Amerian soldiers as implied in the article

Come on. If they're involved in even the smallest manner, it's the US's fault. Eastern European police shoot dead dozens of protesters- US's fault. Iraqi idiots look their own historical articfacts- US's fault. And so on.

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Ecthelion
And whose fault is it? Plunderers, NOT Amerian soldiers as implied in the article

If not American soldiers, it seems that US military vehicule have been at fault.

Heavy boots

Coalition forces have themselves damaged archaeological sites by using them as military bases.

The withdrawal of coalition troops from Babylon has revealed irreversible damage to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

An alarming report by the keeper of the British Museum's Near East department, Dr John Curtis, describes how areas in the middle of the archaeological site were levelled to create a landing area for helicopters and parking lots for heavy vehicles.


Looted Sumerian sites now resemble the surface of the moon
"They caused substantial damage to the Ishtar Gate, one of the most famous monuments from antiquity," he wrote.

"US military vehicles crushed 2,600-year-old brick pavements, archaeological fragments were scattered across the site, more then 12 trenches were driven into ancient deposits and military earth-moving projects contaminated the site for future generations of scientists.

"Add to all that the damage caused to nine of the moulded brick figures of dragons in the Ishtar Gate by people trying to remove the bricks from the wall."

[Ecthy]

Originally posted by Gibsie
Come on. If they're involved in even the smallest manner, it's the US's fault. Eastern European police shoot dead dozens of protesters- US's fault. Iraqi idiots look their own historical articfacts- US's fault. And so on.

Uzbekistan is Central Asia. but I agree.

[Gibsie]

Oh, well that was a guess, I didn't even know it was Uzbekistan (I've not watched the news in ages). Shows how much I know!

[Spiffor]

I remember American media telling us "that was overdramatized, nothing to see here" when the issue first came out during the lootings, two years ago.

[Verto]

Who cares about some bricks

[chequita guevara]

It's our history, dude. How'd you feel if the Mormon Cathedral was turned into an airbase?

[Verto]

Jet engines are of the way of the future

[Ecthy]

The things haven't disappeared. There are probably many experts around in Iraq checking out all possible basars and markets and buy the things back.

[Hueij]

The things haven't disappeared.

Not reading very well, aren't we? Whole sites are destroyed. It's a ****ing shame, they are destroying our history, our heritage. This is were we ****ing come from.

[DinoDoc]

Why should I care? There happen to be more substantial problems in Iraq that merrit attention. Perhaps you've heard of an insergency going on there.