The Iraq War & Archaeology
Reviewed Articles Archive Thirty-Two: Second 1/2 of July 2004





This is the thirty-second archive of the reviewed articles of The Iraq War & Archaeology web site.


Francis Deblauwe, Ph.D.
The articles and other information are listed chronologically, most recent first.
Almost all are accessible for free (or after a free registration) on the internet.  Each time, I try to draw attention to the most relevant tidbits of information, esp. things that were not mentioned before; occasionally, I provide some comment.  The usual warning applies: many links become defective with time.  Inclusion in the list does not in any way mean that I necessarily agree with the opinions expressed in an article.  But for a few exceptions, the occasional photos and figures accompanying reviewed articles are just hotlinked images on other web sites, in other words: do not download them or request permission to publish them from me, for I do not own the copyright to them in any way!  Please do contact the rightful owners if you would like to use them for publication purposes. Finally, for the sake of convenience, all articles and so on are assumed to have been published on US web sites unless indicated otherwise.


Photo: "Treasure hunt. Amateur archeological digging is a new source of income for unemployed." [West Bank, not Iraq]
  • J. Glanz, "Rebuilding Iraq, a Well at a Time," in The New York Times, July 20, 2004: "... at the Nimrud archaeological site, south of Mosul, where a $28,000 grant to refurbish what remains of an ancient Assyrian capital has brought it several steps back from garbage-strewn chaos, said Muzamim Mahmoud, director of the Mosul museum and antiquities director for the province. Walking proudly among the ancient chambers lined with huge bas-reliefs of kings and servants and bird-headed gods, Mr. Mahmoud said foreign tourists had visited Nimrud as recently as 2002. But looting after the American-led invasion last year left behind an abandoned place with little more than heavy carved stones to mark the glory that once inhabited this spot. The money let Mr. Mahmoud rehabilitate the gate and guardhouse - now manned by Iraqi security officers - and clean up the entire site and make major repairs on a trailer used by archaeologists during their digs. Now there are even little pitched sheet-metal roofs over the carvings to protect them from erosion as Mr. Mahmoud seeks new international donors for permanent facilities. 'Step by step they need to repair the site for tourists,' Mr. Mahmoud said, 'and this amount of money comes just in time.'"

All photos: "Tyler Hicks/The New York Times"

Photo 1: "The Assyrian archaeological site at Nimrud is being refurbished."

Photo 2: "A $28,000 grant to refurbish what remains of an ancient Assyrian capital has brought the Nimrud archaeological site, south of Mosul, several steps back from garbage-strewn chaos."

Photo 3: "Walking proudly among the ancient chambers lined with massive bas-reliefs of kings and servants and bird-headed gods, Muzamim Mahmoud, right, director of the Mosul museum, said foreign tourists had visited Nimrud as recently as 2002."

Photo 4: "An American soldier touches one of the artifacts at the Nimrud archaeological site. Looting after last year's American-led invasion left behind an abandoned place with little more than heavy carved stones to mark the glory that once inhabited this spot."







This site is edited by Belgian archaeologist Francis Deblauwe, Ph.D., living in Streamwood, Illinois (USA), who is affiliated with Archaeos, Inc., and a research associate of the University of Vienna (Austria).