Tag: Babylon

Cyrus Cylinder row resolved: ‘Ancient declaration of human rights’ to visit Iran

The Cyrus Cylinder will go on loan to Tehran, Iran The British Museum has announced that it is lending the Cyrus Cylinder to the National Museum of Iran. Together with two fragments of contemporary cuneiform tablets, it will be the centrepiece of an exhibition that celebrates a great moment in the history of the Middle East.

The artefact which is described as ‘an ancient declaration of human rights’ by the United Nations was originally due to arrive in Iran in September 2009. At that time, the British Museum cited the ‘political situation’ in post-election Iran as the reason for the delay. In August this year, the loan was once again delayed, prompting Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organisation to declare it would cut all ties with the British Museum.

In a statement released today, the British Museum said that although political relations between Iran and the UK are at the moment difficult, the Cyrus Cylinder will after all be send to Tehran, where it will be on display for four months.

One of the chief tasks of our generation is to build a global community, where peoples of differing ideologies can live together in respect and harmony, said Karen Armstrong, author and commentator on religious affairs and a British Museum Trustee.

At a time of political tension, it is essential to keep as many doors of communication open as possible. We all have much work to do to build a peaceful world. This cultural exchange may make a small but timely contribution towards the creation of better relations between the West and Iran.

Objects are uniquely able to speak across time and space and this object must be shared as widely as possible.

In 2004, Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, wrote in ‘The whole world in our hands’ that the Cylinder may indeed be a document of human rights, and clearly linked with the history of Iran, but that it is in no real sense an Iranian document: it is part of a much larger history of the ancient Near East, of Mesopotamian kingship, and of the Jewish diaspora. According to McGregor, it is one of the British Museum’s tasks to resist the narrowing of the object’s meaning and its appropriation to one political agenda.

The two fragments of tablet that will accompany the Cylinder were also found in nineteenth century British Museum excavations in or near Babylon.

These fragments were identified by experts at the Museum earlier this year as being inscribed with parts of the same text as the Cylinder but do not belong to it. They show that the text of the Cylinder was probably a proclamation that was widely distributed across the Persian Empire.

Originally, the Cylinder was inscribed in cuneiform and buried in the foundations of a wall after Cyrus the Great, the Persian Emperor, captured Babylon in 539 BC. It stayed buried there until it wasdiscovered by an excavation team from theBritish Museumin 1879, which brought the ancient document to England. Cyrus’ Cylinder has been in London ever since.

The clay document records that, aided by the god Marduk, Cyrus captured Babylon without a fight. According to Cyrus (this part of the document is written as he himself is speaking)he abolished the labour-service of Babylon’s free population and restored shrines dedicated to Marduk and other gods. He also repatriated deported peoples who had been brought to Babylon; the decree that allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild The Temple.

It is because of these enlightened acts, which were reasonably rare in antiquity (and quite the opposite of Nebuchadnezzar’s behaviour), that the Cylinder has become a symbol of tolerance and respect for different peoples and different faiths.

You could almost say that the Cyrus Cylinder is A History of the Middle East in one object and it is a link to a past which we all share and to a key moment in history that has shaped the world around us, comments MacGregor, referencing the museum’s ‘A History of the World in 100 Objects’ project.

Objects are uniquely able to speak across time and space and this object must be shared as widely as possible, he adds.

It does make you wonder. If this is true, shouldn’t the Elgin Marbles be allowed to have their s(t)ay in Greece?

Will Volcanic Ash Delay Start of New Commercial Flights Between London and Iraq?

This week, the UK skies fell oddly silent due to flight cancellations caused by the eruption of a volcano in Iceland. As business and holiday travellers fret over changed plans and lost vacation, one particularly symbolic flight hangs in the balance. Passengers booked onto the 11am Iraqi Airways flight to Baghdad on Saturday, April 17 are awaiting news of whether their flight will board tomorrow, Sunday or Monday. When it does take off, it will be the first direct commercial service between the British capital and Iraq in almost 20 years, and it represents another small step on Iraq’s long road to recovery.

Saad al-Khafaji, the general manager of the Iraqi Airways office in the UK, told Travel Weekly the airline has planned to operate five flights a week within the next three months, with the increased activity aiding the countrys recovery following the 2003 invasion. Plans in 2007 to resume a direct service were shelved.

Iraqi Airways uses IKB Travel and Tours as its principal agent in the UK and Ireland.

With visa regulations on entry into Iraq still tight and the security situation remains dire, the London-Baghdad services are likely to be used by ex-pat Iraqis and the relatives and friends of Iraqi citizens, as well as non-governmental organisations, government officials and others working to rebuild and stabilise the country.

Access to Ancient Sites

However it is hoped the route will one day also be used by tourists, researchers and students of history wanting to experience the country’s rich ancient culture, including the site of Babylon and the rebuilt National Museum in Baghdad. These sites, like many other ancient wonders across the country, were largely destroyed during the war or in its aftermath.

Lonely Planets Tom Hall, says it’s impossible to predict when this might happen. I would be very surprised if flights to Baghdad resulted in a growth of tourist traffic there in the near future, he said. It is simply far too early for that.

Turkish Airlines became the first major international carrier to resume flights to Iraq when it opened its Istanbul-Baghdad route in October 2008. Etihad Airways, Gulf Air and Royal Jordanian are among the other commercial operators currently flying to Baghdad Al Muthana International Airport, however Iraqi Airways is the only one offering a direct service from the British capital; Gulf Air flies to London via its hub in Bahrain. Lufthansa plans to reopen Frankfurt and Munich services to Baghdad this European summer its first flights to Iraq in two decades.

FedEx and DHL operate civilian and military cargo services to the airport, which is located 10 miles west of the city. The airport was known as Saddam International Airport prior to the 2003 invasion, and reverted to civilian control in August 2004. The passenger terminal has three gate areas which were originally named after the ancient sites of Babylon, Samarra, and Nineveh; today they are known only as A, B and C.

The first commercial flight from the UK may yet take off on schedule, but European tourism to some the world’s most fascinating ancient sites has without a doubt experienced significant delays up to now.

Google Earth Tour: Great Cities of the Ancient World

After Heritage Key’s recent video interview with John Julius Norwich on his new book “The Great Cities in History” (which you should definately watch here) I wrote an article looking at the greatest ancient cities that Lord Norwich selected. With cities across the globe and ranging from the Greeks and Romans, to the Egyptians and Muslims, as far as the Indus Valley and Chinese to the Mayan Civilisation. The city is very much an ancient concept, but one which our society relies upon today in order to maintain a place of power, culture and trade.

The earliest cities were based on sites near rivers where transportation and trade would be easiest, without having to combat the rough waters of the sea. Agriculture was also a key factor in the growth of cities, as farm workers congregated together to work the land in larger groups. The adoption of religion and the birth of social structures came about with the spread of the city, and soon came the need for defences and stores.

An ideal way to see the various world cities would be through Google Earth, which brings together satellite images from around the world in a 3D form to be able to see the position and general look of these city sites today. Although the images aren’t as high resolution as the GeoEye satellite imagery that Heritage Key is showcasing of Giza and Leptis Magna, it certainly does give you a good idea of these sites and the context in which they were born in.

The Google Earth Tour below shows 3D models and locations of the amazing ancient cities picked out in Lord Norwich’s book, in a flyover which will take you across the continents and zoom in on these magnificent structures.

VIDEO: John Julius Norwich on the Great Cities in History

To open webpages in a new window, right click the link in the information window and select “Open link in new window”. This will enable you to view the link in a full web browser.

You can also download this tour to your computer by clicking here, selecting “Save” and then running the file. It will automatically open Google Earth and begin the Heritage Key: Pyramids of the World tour.

Have a look through our Google Earth Tours too to experience more flythrough tours of world heritage sites!

Dam Floods Threaten Radar-Revealed Lost Syrian City

An ancient Mesopotamian city discovered recently in Syria could be lost forever, experts fear. The circular city, dating back 4,500 years in the enclave of Tall Qabr, was found using cutting edge geo-laser technology. Its location along the Euphrates River means it may hold the key to boundaries between the Mari Kingdom and its southern Babylonian neighbours, in modern Iraq.

Yet the city may be lost forever, thanks to flooding from a modern dam. Its Spanish discoverers, from the universities of Coruna and Vigo, have hastily prepared a report for UNESCO in the hope that it can send scores of archaeologists to dig up the city before disaster strikes. The city could even make it onto UNESCO’s 31-strong list (controversially missing Kashgar) of world heritage sites in danger, which already includes Samarra in Iraq, and Israel’s holy city of Jerusalem.

The team are hoping UNESCO can act before disaster strikes

The danger is a sour note on what has been an successful project so far, for a 20-strong team led by Jean Luis Montero. The group has worked since 2008 in the area, known as the Hill of the Tomb, alongside the Syrian government. And thanks to groundbreaking geo-lasers, which can sniff out sites without having to break ground, Montero believes the team has found a site which will change Mesopotamian history.

The city’s circular plan is its most significant feature, singling it out from established cities in the area such as Mari. A fort was also unearthed, built around a thousand years after the initial layout.

Montero, who will announce his team’s breakthrough later this month in Madrid, has likened the well-preserved state of the city to that of doomed Roman metropolis Pompeii, which was frozen in time when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

Montero’s team are hoping the city can reveal more about a time in Middle Eastern past notably devoid in written history. The Kingdom of Mari was inhabited from the 5th millennium BC, yet flourished three thousand years later. It met an abrupt end in 1759 BC, however, when it was sacked by legendary Babylonian King Hammurabi.

Sadly, the city is just one of many Mesopotamian treasures to face destruction in recent years. Thanks to ongoing conflict in Iraq, much of Babylon’s ruins have been destroyed – with many placing blame on the US Army. Likewise, Baghdad Museum has been ravaged by looting and insurgency. Artefacts dating back to the beginnings of civilization have been found as far afield as The Netherlands and Japan, as the region desperately tries to claw back its amazing heritage. Montero and his team will be hoping their fledgling find is not the latest to suffer at the hands of modern man.

Three Arrests in Iraqi War on Artefact Trafficking

Three men have been arrested in Iraq on charges of trafficking eight priceless ancient artefacts, as the war-torn nation clamps down on a burgeoning black market. The men were foiled after trying to sell one item for $160,000 to an undercover intelligence officer of the Iraq Army 12th Division, just outside the northern city of Kirkuk. A fourth trafficker is yet to have been caught by the police. Among the treasures was the bust of a Sumerian king, local army chiefs told Associated Press. All of the objects date from the region’s Sumerian era, between 4,000 and 2,000 BC. Major General Abdul Amir al-Zaidi told reporters the sting was based on information from local residents, and stressed the Iraqi authorities’ commitment to retrieving vital artefacts in the face of civil unrest: “The duty of Iraqi army is not only to chase the terrorists but also to protect state treasures,” he said.

This episode is a light note for a city ravaged by war since the dawn of civilization

The operation is a breath of fresh air in a country which, following the upheaval and demise of tyrannical dictator Saddam Hussein (who based his image on the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II), fell prey to looters and traffickers as the invading US Army failed to secure some of its most precious ancient sites and

artefacts. Some objects have subsequently been found as far afield as Switzerland and Japan, and US soldiers have even been ordered to receive cultural heritage training. The Netherlands returned 69 stolen treasures to Iraq only two months ago, but many more items are unaccounted for. The ancient artefact black market has taken several blows of late, with high-profile sting operations making headlines in the US and Bulgaria. The latter has come under heavy fire from so-called ‘treasure hunters‘ recently, with the government taking a hard-line on those caught in the act of plundering its Roman, Thracian and Byzantine past.

Kirkuk itself stands at the faultline between a myriad ancient and contemporary peoples. Built on the ruins of the Assyrian city of Arrapha, which stood from around 2,000 BC, it was the stage for dozens of bloody battles between the Assyrians and their Babylonian and Median rivals. More recently the city was the scene for further bloodshed, when Hussein ordered its infamous cleansing of Kurdish inhabitants, before becoming a vital step in the US-led coalition’s struggle to control the countrCitizens and officials will be hoping this small victory can prove a turning point in the city’s fortunes.

UNESCO’s Final Report on Damage Assessment in Babylon

After 4 years of research – at a quite ‘sensitive’ and not-so-safe area, Imust admit – UNESCOfinally released it’s Final Report on Damage Assesment in Babylon by the International Coordination Committee for the Saveguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Iraq. Be the report not that world-shocking, we all know by now that both Saddam Hussein as well as the Coalition Forces are to blame, the report does clearly devide which damage was inflicted upon the Babylon archaeological area before the start of the Iraq war, and which was brought upon ‘Camp Alpha’ post-2003.

Damage to the archaeological site that occurred before 2003

Parking lots – Flat areas covered with gravel were built in scattered areas of the city. (Of which some were later used by the MNF-IIraq as airfield.)
The Al-Hawliyah canal and it’s lakes – The moat surrounds the city of Babylon and has a lenght of 4.5km and a width of 15. The bottom and sides of the moat are lined with cement. The canal is linked to three lakes, of which the largest is 29ha.
Artificial earthen mounds – Established under the ‘International Babylon Festival’ plan.
The Palace and buildings surrounding it, as well as restaurants and service buildings constructed in the center of the archaeological site.
Improper restaurations and reconstructions – Amongst others the Southern Palace of Nebuchadnezzar, the northern portion of the Processional Way, the temple of Minmakh and the temple of Nabu-sha-Hare, the eastern portion of the inner wall, the Babylonian houses and the Greek Theatre. In particular, the use of concrete for the foundations of the reconstructed Greek Theatre is in clear contravention of internationally acknowledged standards.
Firing positions – Defensive trenches in scattered areas of the city. The spoil from one of these trenches contains archaeological material including a glazed vessel.
Damage to previous archaeological excavations – The lack of appropriate maintenance and protection caused major damage to the exposed remains from rain, wind, ground water, salt, plans and human activity.

Damage sustained to the site in 2003 after the MNF-1 entered the city

The UNESCO report on the use of Babylon as a military base:”a grave encroachment on this internationally known archaeological site. During their presence in Babylon, the MNF-I and contractors employed by them, mainly KBR, directly caused major damage to the city by digging, cutting, scraping, and leveling. Key structures that were damaged include the Ishtar Gate and the Processional Way.“

The military presence in the city and the establishment of a military zone, entailing fortification and defensive measures caused both indirect and direct damage:

Excavation works, pits & trenches – Many trenches of different sizes were dug in different parts of the city. Only to often the soil removed was not preserved. In at least one of the trenches pottery fragments and baked brick fragments with Nebuchadnezzar’s name inscribed were found. This trench has begun to collapse, causing additional damage.
Cutting works – Horizontal cutting into a mound, removing deposits. Again, only to often soil was removed, mixed with sand from other locations and not preserved.
Scraping and leveling works – On several archaeological areas and tells, which were then covered with sand and gravel. Some of them were treated with chemicals in addition. This operation covered broad areas of Babylon and entailed the use of heavy equipment to compact the soil, which may have destroyed any antiquities beneath the surface. The effects of chemical treatment on the archaeological sub-surface layers are not yet known.
HESCO containers – Which area a ‘Concertainer Defence Wall System’ were filled with soil from the city of Babylon containing pottery fragments and backed brick fragments. Some of these are still in use.
Barbed wire and steel stakes – The barbed wire is not limited to a specific location. The damage in this case was caused by the implantation of stakes in archaeological ground and on several tells and walls, as happened to a wall in the central area and a wall in the sacred precinct.
Ishtar Gate – The Ishtar Gate serves as a ritual gate leading into the northern part of the inner city. The damage to the gate includes smashed bricks on nine of the bodies of the animals adorning the gate. These animals depict the legendary dragonsnake, the symbol of Marduk, the god of the city of Babylon.
Southern portion of Processional Way – Major damage can be observed in the southern part of the Processional Way, which was rediscovered during the Babylon Revival Project excavations in 1979. Starting from the Nabu-sha-Hare Temple, the effects of heavy vehicle wheels are clear, breaking the paving of the street. Three rows of 2-ton concrete blocks were placed in the middle of the Processional Way on top the paving by heavy vehicles, which is itself an encroachment. These blocks were removed by helicopter on November 29, 2004 to prevent further damage to the Processional Way. In addition, a row of HESCO containers with soil taken from the eastern wall of the sacred precinct were placed on the way, and barbed wire was attached by steel stakes to the wall itself and in the middle of Processional Way. There is also a cut in the wall itself with a length of 2.5 m, a depth of 50 cm, and a height of 1.5 m.
Many of the reconstructed features and buildings have suffered damage, including the Inner Wall, the Temple of Ninmakh, the Temple of Ishtar, the Nabu-sha-Hare Temple, the royal palaces and the Babylonian houses. Part of the roof of the Ninmakh Temple collapsed and cracked. Fractures and openings can be seen in the walls of various buildings. The presence of the MNF-1 in Babylon made these structures inaccessible, preventing the SBAH from maintaining their normal procedures of monitoring and repair. A contributing factor to the damage in the Ninmakh Temple may have been the vibration resulting from constant air traffic coming from the close-by helipad. Also, the movement of heavy vehicles within the site caused undefined damage to the archaeological sub-surface layers by churning up or compressing earth.

Looting & damage to artefacts and archives during the war

During the war in 2003, the archaeological city was subjected to encroachment and damage. The Nebuchadnezzar and Hammurabi museums were broken into and everything in the two museums was stolen. Fortunately, the objects exhibited in the two museums were plaster replicas rather than originals, but this did not prevent them from being stolen. Some of these replicas were found scattered and destroyed in the grounds of the two museums. The Project Management Headquarters (Study Centre) and the Museum Office also attracted the thieves and robbers. Whatever could not be stolen was burned. Everything in the Babylon Library and Archive was destroyed, including important reports, maps, and studies on the results of excavation and preservation works undertaken by the Babylon Archeological Restoration Project.

You can read the full report at the UNESCOwebsite. But after taking a glance at even just this short summary, one can not help but wonder if archaeologists should advise the military on Middle East heritage?

Pics and translations of two never before exhibited Dead Sea Scrolls

Among the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibited in Toronto, at the Royal Ontario Museum, are two fragments which have never before been shown to the public.

One of them is a fragment from Daniel. It appears to have been a popular book as archaeologists have no less than eight copies of it among the scrolls but this particular fragment has not beenexhibited until now.

The other, Barki Nafshi (Apocryphal Psalms), is a series of Psalms that do not appear in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).

As mentioned in my preview, photography of the scrolls is forbidden at the ROMs exhibit because of concerns about their fragility. But Heritage Key was at the media preview and, for that one day, non-flash photography was allowed. The Royal Ontario Museum has also kindly emailed us the english translations for these two fragments.

So here they are. Click on the photos to see larger versions, and read the accompanying text:

Barkhi Nafshi Apocryphal Psalms

Bless, O my soul, the LO RD, for all his wonderful deeds forever.
And blessed be his name, for he has saved the life of the poor.
And the needy he has not despised and he has not overlooked the hardship of the oppressed.
He has kept his eyes on the weak, and paid attention to the cry of orphans for help.
He has inclined his ears to their cry, and because of his abundant mercies, has shown favour to the meek.
He has opened their eyes to see his ways, and inclined their ear[s] to his teaching.
He has circumcised their hearts foreskin, and delivered them for the sake of his kindness and has set their feet firm on the path.
In their many hardships he did not forsake them and did not deliver them into the hands of violent men nor did he judge them with the wicked; his anger was not enkindled against them nor did he destroy them.

Daniel (fragment on display)

DAN. 2:19 God of heaven.

20 Daniel s[aid] Blessed be the name of the
great God [from a]ge to age, for
wisdom and power are h[is.]

21 He changes t[imes] and seasons, deposes
[k]ings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have un[de]rstanding.

22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what
is in the darkness, and light dwells [with him.]

23 To you, O God of my
ancestors, [I give thanks and praise,]
for [you] have given [me] wisdom
and enli[ghtenment(?)] and have now [revea]led [to me what] we [asked]
of [you,] for [you have revealed
to us] what [the king] order[ed.

24 [Therefore]
Daniel went to [Ario]ch, [whom the] king [had appointed] to destroy the
wise men of Babylon, and said
[to him, Do not]
destroy [the wise men of Babylon;] bring me in be[fore the] k[ing, and]
I will give the king its [interpretation.]

25 Then Arioch qui[ckly brought Daniel]
be[fore the] king and [said] to him: I have found among the exiles
from Judah a man who can tell [the king the
interpretation.]

26 The king said to Daniel, whose name was
Belteshazzar, Are you [able to tell me] the
dream that I have seen and its interpretation? 27 Daniel answered
the king, No

(end of fragment)