Medieval History
On land where Assyrian kings once reigned, an Iraqi farmer named Araf Khalaf surveyed the scrap of earth that has nurtured three generations of his family. It is little more than a mud hut and a scraggly vegetable patch, yet his land has become a battleground, one pitting efforts to preserve Iraq?s ancient treasures against the nation?s modern-day poor.
With violence ebbing, Iraqi and international archaeologists are again excavating and repairing the country?s historic sites. But they are running into a problem: thousands of Iraqis have taken up residence among the poorly guarded ruins of Mesopotamia, in illegally built homes and shops, greenhouses and garages. And they do not want to leave.
?My father grew up here,? Mr. Khalaf said. ?This is our land.?
It is a familiar issue for other nations with troves of unrecovered antiquities, like Egypt. And to Iraqi authorities, the residents are nothing more than illegal squatters who need to be moved. Officials say they pose the latest threat to an archaeological patrimony that has been plundered by looters, pummeled by decades of war and disfigured by Saddam Hussein?s egotistical additions and renovations. They want to relocate the families and seal off the areas, much as Kurdish officials in northern Iraq did to clear away squatters from an ancient citadel overlooking the city of Erbil.
Click here to read this article from the New York Times
- Battle To Protect Norwich?s Medieval City Walls Receives Time And Cash Boost
Protectors of the medieval city walls in Norwich are hoping to save cash and slash waiting times for urgent repairs by up to 12 months. Norwich City Council faces an ongoing battle to preserve the much-loved walls, with water, road salt and plants causing...
- Heritage Crime: Medieval Structure Being Ruined By Late-night Revellers
Late-night revellers are ruining a medieval wooden structure in Chester by urinating on it, it is feared. Council leaders have warned that the ?major problem? is causing ?irreparable damage" to the Rows, the covered walkways that surround the city centre.Town...
- Ancient Greek Sites Could Soon Be Available For Rent
Available for rent: The Acropolis. In a move bound to leave many Greeks and scholars aghast, Greece's culture ministry said Tuesday it will open up some of the debt-stricken country's most-cherished archaeological sites to advertising firms and...
- Claims Of Mass Libyan Looting Rejected By Archaeologists
Archaeologists in contact with colleagues in Libya say that their nation's antiquities appear safe despite the chaos in the country. That news is contrary to reports earlier this week, which claimed that Libya's museums were being plundered and...
- Underground Crusader City Revealed Beneath Streets Of Acre
Archaeologists prepare to uncover entire compound built in medieval times and hidden for centuries under the rubble in northern Israel. Off the track beaten by most Holy Land tourists lies one of the richest archaeological sites in a country full of them:...
Medieval History
Seeking to Preserve the Past, but Stumbling on the Present
On land where Assyrian kings once reigned, an Iraqi farmer named Araf Khalaf surveyed the scrap of earth that has nurtured three generations of his family. It is little more than a mud hut and a scraggly vegetable patch, yet his land has become a battleground, one pitting efforts to preserve Iraq?s ancient treasures against the nation?s modern-day poor.
With violence ebbing, Iraqi and international archaeologists are again excavating and repairing the country?s historic sites. But they are running into a problem: thousands of Iraqis have taken up residence among the poorly guarded ruins of Mesopotamia, in illegally built homes and shops, greenhouses and garages. And they do not want to leave.
?My father grew up here,? Mr. Khalaf said. ?This is our land.?
It is a familiar issue for other nations with troves of unrecovered antiquities, like Egypt. And to Iraqi authorities, the residents are nothing more than illegal squatters who need to be moved. Officials say they pose the latest threat to an archaeological patrimony that has been plundered by looters, pummeled by decades of war and disfigured by Saddam Hussein?s egotistical additions and renovations. They want to relocate the families and seal off the areas, much as Kurdish officials in northern Iraq did to clear away squatters from an ancient citadel overlooking the city of Erbil.
Click here to read this article from the New York Times
- Battle To Protect Norwich?s Medieval City Walls Receives Time And Cash Boost
Protectors of the medieval city walls in Norwich are hoping to save cash and slash waiting times for urgent repairs by up to 12 months. Norwich City Council faces an ongoing battle to preserve the much-loved walls, with water, road salt and plants causing...
- Heritage Crime: Medieval Structure Being Ruined By Late-night Revellers
Late-night revellers are ruining a medieval wooden structure in Chester by urinating on it, it is feared. Council leaders have warned that the ?major problem? is causing ?irreparable damage" to the Rows, the covered walkways that surround the city centre.Town...
- Ancient Greek Sites Could Soon Be Available For Rent
Available for rent: The Acropolis. In a move bound to leave many Greeks and scholars aghast, Greece's culture ministry said Tuesday it will open up some of the debt-stricken country's most-cherished archaeological sites to advertising firms and...
- Claims Of Mass Libyan Looting Rejected By Archaeologists
Archaeologists in contact with colleagues in Libya say that their nation's antiquities appear safe despite the chaos in the country. That news is contrary to reports earlier this week, which claimed that Libya's museums were being plundered and...
- Underground Crusader City Revealed Beneath Streets Of Acre
Archaeologists prepare to uncover entire compound built in medieval times and hidden for centuries under the rubble in northern Israel. Off the track beaten by most Holy Land tourists lies one of the richest archaeological sites in a country full of them:...