Seeking Common Ground: Digging for Answers

Heritage experts from government, academia and NGOs came together in Washington on April 17 at a workshop and public seminar to explore possible solutions to the critical issues surrounding protection of heritage in times of conflict. The conference, titled “Cultural Heritage: Conflict and Reconciliation” was held at the Smithsonian Castle and the Freer Gallery of Art and co-hosted by the Smithsonian and University of Chicago’s Cultural Policy Center.

The speakers identified concerns related to how best to work with the role of the military and law enforcement during times of conflict, how best to define the scope of illicit trafficking, and how best to coordinate among the three pillars of government, academia and NGOs in order to promote cooperation, not competition. While many of issues surfaced, no clear path was decided upon for moving forward and encouraging greater cooperation.

In the public portion of the program, David Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group and Regent of the Smithsonian, moderated a distinguished panel including the event’s host, Smithsonian Under Secretary Richard Kurin, Mounir Bouchenaki, Director of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, Emily Rafferty, President of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and George Papagiannis, the U.S. Representative of UNESCO.

The panelists all agree that the field is facing a crisis with the destruction and looting of heritage sites in the Middle East by extremists. And while action needs to be taken, it is a challenge even for major global organizations to help during times of active conflict. The discussion can be viewed here.

The interview was followed by a moderated discussion of the day’s themes that included Gil Stein, Director of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, Maria Kouroupas, State Department Director of the Cultural Heritage Center, Patty Gerstenblith, Distinguished Professor of Law at DePaul University, Bill Ivey, former head of the National Endowment of the Arts and China Liaison for the American Folklore Society and Deborah Lehr, Chairman of the Antiquities Coalition. The moderator was Rob Albro, a Research Associate Professor at American University and Washington DC representative of the University of Chicago Cultural Policy Center.

The discussions focused on two key questions: is there a growing awareness of the need to protect heritage and how can we establish a better policy mechanism in the US to promote greater interagency cooperation and international outreach to address this growing challenge?

Overall, the discussants agreed that with the advent of extremism in the Middle East and the subsequent attacks against cultural heritage, there was increased awareness among policy makers internationally and the general public about antiquities looting, trafficking and destruction. There is still a need for those in the heritage field to come together to develop strategies of how best to support countries during times of crisis, and certainly how to execute those strategies.

The Antiquities Coalition (AC) was honored to be part of the overall discussion. Its themes provide an excellent foundation for an upcoming event hosted by the AC in Cairo. In cooperation with the Arab Republic of Egypt, The Middle East Institute, and UNESCO, the Antiquities Coalition will be co-hosting a conference in Cairo addressing “Culture Under Threat” May 13-14, 2015. You can find more information about the conference HERE. The Antiquities Coalition is dedicated to finding solutions to the threats of looting, trafficking and destruction that are facing cultural heritage today.

More Than Collateral Damage: The Systematic Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Yemen’s Civil War

Yemen

The current fight for Yemen’s future comes at a very high price for its citizens. Yemenis are suffering loss of life, loss of their homes and possessions, and a systematic loss and destruction of their rich and unique heritage. The protection of human life takes first priority in times of conflict, but the loss of Yemen’s culture and history is far from collateral damage. It is an irreplaceable resource, integral to Yemenis and part of the story we all share. And the fate of Yemen’s sites, objects, landscapes, and folkways are under threat caused by all out civil war.

What is at Risk?

Yemen is a country with a rich heritage and background. Called Arabia Felix or Arabia Eudaimon by the Romans and Greeks, (that’s Happy Arabia in English), the flourishing cities of South Arabia are mentioned several times in the Bible Today the area is mainly known as the legendary land of the Queen of Sheba, known locally as Bilqis, and her capital at Marib. In the 1st millennium BCE, South Arabia became home to four major kingdoms (Saba, Ma’in, Hadramaut, and the Qataban). Most of these kingdoms were involved in the trade of incense and other spices, leading to legendary wealth. Archaeological fieldwork uncovered traces of much older civilizations as well.

The province of Marib northwest of Yemen’s capital Sanaa has a multitude of sites including the ancient city of Sirwah, but also other imposing temples, mosques and residential buildings. The great dam, al ‘Arem, is an engineering masterpiece, and is featured on local currency as a sign of construction and prosperity. Construction of the first Marib dam began around 750 BCE. In later times, the dam height was increased to 45 feet with walls of 25 feet. The dam was designed to divert water into channels, which allowed the irrigation of 25,000 acres. Yemeni heritage professionals, with contributions from German colleagues, have long collaborated in the preservation of sites in the Marib region.

Yemen’s magnificent cultural and natural patrimony includes entire villages, a large number of museums, mausoleums, castles, churches, mosques, libraries, parks, and both land and underwater heritage sites. Entire camel cemeteries from the first millennium BCE have been identified. There is an extremely wide array of sites and intangible and tangible heritage traditions in Yemen and the islands in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean (Socotra).

By 2014, Yemen had four UNESCO World Heritage sites, while ten more sites and regions have been on the tentative list since 2002. South Arabian architects and artists produced extraordinary temple architectures, bronze-work and alabaster statues. There are exceptional collections of manuscripts and Korans kept in museums and libraries, information on some of which has been compiled in the recent international collaborative Yemeni Manuscript Digitization Initiative (YMDI), and by European colleagues working in collaboration with Yemeni colleagues.

What’s Been Lost

During civil unrest in 1994, entire museums were emptied, showcases were broken and materials looted from Lahej/Hawta, Habilayn and the Wadi Beihan. Thousands of inscriptions, alabaster statues from graveyards and cemeteries, and manuscripts were sold into the black market by cultural racketeers.

A new heritage crisis developed after the toppling of Ali Abdullah Saleh, during the Arab Spring. A transitional period began in 2011 when citizens, particularly young people, protested on the streets against corruption and traditional political parties. In April 2012, Abdullah Awbal, then Yemeni Minister for Culture reported on looting and the illegal sales of cultural materials. Concerned officials have repeatedly stated that the country’s heritage is at risk of looting from specialized and highly trained groups, focused particularly on manuscripts and antiquities that can be easily moved. Limited local and international support and funding leads to a lack of security in some of the regional museums, as well as key heritage sites.

Many archaeological sites, especially prehistoric cemeteries, remain undiscovered or improperly documented, and are thus vulnerable. Losing more of the ornate sculptures that once adorned the sanctuaries and tomb complexes to further looting and trafficking would do irreparable harm to the future of South Arabia and to the loss of our common heritage.

The Situation Today

Interest in Yemeni antiquities and materials is in part due to the association of sites or personalities with biblical stories and Islamic traditions. The devastation of Yemen’s cultural heritage caused by the illicit trade in antiquities is among the most severe in the Arab-speaking world. Citizens driven by poverty and the interests of rich collectors destroy Yemen’s most valuable non-renewable resource.

With the advent of new conflict, Yemen’s cultural heritage is in grave danger. The combined crisis of a lack of security for heritage, a crippling economic situation and a battle for control of the country puts this region’s rich and unique history at severe risk. It is unfortunately following in the footsteps of other regions in the Middle East, including Iraq and Syria, where their precious heritage is being sold to the highest bidders in international markets. It is time for leaders in the region — and the international community — to come together protect Yemeni heritage in this time of crisis.

Cultural Property: Current Problems Meet Established Law

A Conference jointly presented by the Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation and the Penn Cultural Heritage Center, University of Pennsylvania

Thursday 26 March 2015 – Friday 27 March 2015

As the looting and destruction of archaeological sites and museums reaches unprecedented levels in Iraq and Syria — a crisis that Egypt, UNESCO, the Middle East Institute, and the Antiquities Coalition will be tackling head on in Cairo next month — the role of law in mitigating these atrocities has never been more significant.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation (LCCHP) explored this topic at their 6th annual conference, “Cultural Property: Current Problems Meet Established Law,” last week in Philadelphia. This event, graciously hosted by the Penn Cultural Heritage Center at the University of Pennsylvania, sought to address a wide range of heritage issues — from treasure hunting and underwater looting, to collecting ethics among museums, to emergency responses in times of conflict. The conference assembled a group of highly regarded speakers including lawyers, curators, archaeologists, scholars, and Antiquities Coalition Executive Director Tess Davis.

The first keynote address was given by Dr. Patty Gerstenblith, Distinguished Research Professor of Law at DePaul University, on the adequacy of US law, policy, and practice in preventing the looting and trafficking of antiquities. Dr. Gerstenblith surveyed the current state of the field, highlighting key cases in the courts, and illustrating the top legal tools for combatting cultural racketeering. The second keynote address was delivered by Dr. Mariano J. Aznar-Gomez of the University of Jaume I in Castellon, Spain and is legal expert on the protection of underwater cultural heritage for the Spanish Government. Dr. Aznar-Gomez investigated the compatibility of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) and the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage 2001, demonstrating how policymakers can prevent underwater looting in accordance with both Conventions.

The other panels included topics such as archaeological site looting and the legal response from Cambodia to Iraq to Spain and beyond, both terrestrial and underwater. This was followed by a lunchtime discussion on collecting ethics and the museum response to the legal environment by three museum directors and senior curators. The discussion then turned to methods and responsibilities to due diligence in provenance research and finally to how the law may enable international support in the case of Syria.

The conference concluded on the note that criminal litigation, public awareness, and communication among those working in the heritage field are paramount in devising strategies to protect the world’s cultural heritage. It was also clear from the day's proceedings that such strategies are needed more now than ever, as the world's cultural heritage falls under increased attack from crime and conflict. Numerous speakers warned that the situation has reached crisis levels in the Middle East, with ISIS and other terrorist networks trafficking countless antiquities to fund their campaign, and destroying countless others for propaganda.

In response to this ongoing plunder, the Antiquities Coalition is partnering with the Arab Republic of Egypt, UNESCO, and the Middle East Institute to shut down ISIS funding from antiquities looting and trafficking. We will launch this initiative with an emergency conference in Cairo from May 13-14, 2015. Please stay tuned for more information about this 2015 Cairo Conference.

In the meantime, the Antiquities Coalition thanks the LCCHP and PCHC for last week's informative event, and looks forward to their future collaborations!

   

Culture in Conflict: Where can ISIS get $1 Million?

With the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the world rightfully asked how a militant faction too extreme for Al-Qaeda transformed itself into “the world’s richest terror group ever.” ISIS boasts an annual budget worth $2 billion and a war chest of $250 million, which if true surpasses the Taliban’s (and that of many states). Still more troubling, it is now financially self sufficient, and no longer dependent on foreign donors.

How? Like organized criminal enterprises before it: extortion, ransom, robbery, and smuggling. It perhaps comes as no shock that it has been trafficking arms, drugs, and even oil. However, the public reacted with surprise to reports in June 2014 that ISIS jihadists had earned “millions” by looting the region’s archaeological sites, and then selling its ancient treasures to the highest bidder.

It shouldn’t have. Archaeologists, criminologists, law enforcement agents, and military officials have long warned that the illicit antiquities trade is funding crime and conflict around the world. However, under ISIS’ black flag, this looting and trafficking is not just a side enterprise, but a massive illegal industry.

The United Nations recently confirmed the connection between cultural racketeering and terrorist financing. On February 12, 2015, in a binding and unanimous resolution, the Security Council recognized that ISIS, the Al-Nusrah Front, and other groups associated with Al-Qaida are indeed funding themselves through “the looting and smuggling of cultural heritage items from archaeological sites, museums, libraries, archives, and other sites.” These earnings are “being used to support their recruitment efforts and strengthen their operational capability to organize and carry out terrorist attacks.” Resolution 2199 put this cultural racketeering on par with profits raised from oil and ransoms, and further ordered all Member States to “take appropriate steps to prevent” the illicit trade immediately.

That same week, the Wall Street Journal reported that looters were hawking Bronze Age busts from ISIS-controlled territory for $30,000 USD, a price since confirmed to us by archaeologists monitoring the black market for such artifacts. Then the very next week, an undercover investigation by the BBC warned that a single masterpiece from war-torn Iraq or Syria could fetch a whopping $1 million on the international market. That figure came out of extensive interviews with proclaimed smugglers, “go-betweens,” and dealers involved in the blood antiquities trade.

No one knows just how much money ISIS is making on antiquities looting and trafficking — except, perhaps, ISIS — but even the most conservative estimates have grave implications for security in the region. And thus around the world. Current weapons costs for Iraq and Syria, as provided by the Terror Asymmetrics Project (TAPSTRI), demonstrate that $1 million would fund either 11,667 AK-47s with 2.5 million bullets or 1,250 rocket launchers with 5,000 mortars.

Put another way, if ISIS were to reap the profits from just one of the sales reported by the BBC, it could literally arm an army. With these numbers, it is no wonder the United Nations has prioritized cutting off this critical source of terrorist financing, as should we all. The stakes are high. If we fail, the sites and objects that tell the very story of civilization may well be converted into weapons and troops, which seize cities, slaughter soldiers, and behead civilians.

Think Before You Buy! 

Antiquities Coalition Calls on U.S. and All Nations to Use All Policy and Legal Tools to Halt the Destruction, Trafficking, and Sale of Illicit Antiquities

Courtesy of Diane Flynn and the Oriental Institute

As ISIL extremists intensify their shameful march of destruction – destroying or looting and trafficking our shared heritage – The Antiquities Coalition is calling for immediate steps that the United States and other nations can take to limit the terrorists’ ability to profit from these malevolent acts – war crimes under international law.

“ISIL is arming its campaign of terror in part by selling the past and robbing future generations of our history,” said Deborah Lehr, Chairman and Co-Founder of The Antiquities Coalition. “We must constrict the terrorists’ ability to profit from the sale of plundered antiquities.”

“If we don’t act now, there may be no past left to protect. With each artifact looted and sold onto the international market, only criminals, insurgents, terrorists — and the most unscrupulous of collectors — profit. The rest of us all lose,” she added.

“There IS something the civilized world can do, right now. World leaders must urgently enforce existing laws, regulations and policies to end or stem these sales, which are funding these crimes against humanity.” Lehr said.

The Antiquities Coalition also released photographs showcasing masterpieces similar to those feared destroyed at Khorsabad, Iraq this weekend. These photos highlight previously preserved antiquities, which are on display at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. The school’s archaeologists were among the first to unearth Khorsabad’s treasures in the 1920s. The University today maintains one of the world’s finest collections of art from the Assyrian Empire, including works from Nineveh and Nimrud, which the Iraqi government reports also fell victim to ISIL last week.

The photos can be viewed here.

Courtesy of Diane Flynn and
the Oriental Institute

The Antiquities Coalition listed a set of actions that can stem the pillaging:

• Organize a Global Response: a unified strategy in which leading governments and international institutions deploy all available policy and legal tools to halt this targeted destruction and illicit trade, while prosecuting the perpetrators of these war crimes.

• Expeditiously Implement Import Restrictions:  the U.S. and all nations must expeditiously implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 2199, passed on February 12, 2015 that prohibits trade in cultural property from Iraq and Syria. (The resolution, passed unanimously by the UN Security Council, directs that action be taken within 120 days.) 

• Stop American consumers from unwittingly supporting ISIL: given that the American market is one of the largest for antiquities, the U.S. can help lead the way by quickly closing its borders to illicit trafficking in conflict antiquities from the Middle East Region, to ensure that pieces from Iraq and Syria are not being laundered through neighboring countries. 

• Launch an International Criminal Court war crimes investigation: UNESCO and other organizations have also called upon the ICC prosecutor to initiate an investigation.

• Support Strategic Military options: as appropriate, to protect civilians and halt the ISIL march of destruction across the cradle of civilization.

“We must not be complacent and accept these crimes against humanity,” Lehr said. “We must not allow terrorists to fund their actions through attacks against mosques, churches, libraries, and museums, which are documented risk factors of impending genocide and war crimes.”

Read Our March 6, 2015 Letter to the ICC Here

Read Our March 6, 2015 Statement Here

Antiquities Coalition Appeal to the International Criminal Court

On Friday, March 6, 2015 — after we learned of the alleged bulldozing of Nimrud by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) — the Antiquities Coalition wrote Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), urging her to open an investigation into ISIS' war crimes against cultural heritage in northern Iraq. 

The attack of Nimrud — following others on the Mosul Library, Mosul Museum, and Assyrian ruins of Nineveh — is a grave violation of domestic Iraqi and international law, including the Rome Statute, which established the ICC.  More importantly, judging from history, it also poses a stark warning that ISIS will soon undertake even greater violence against the besieged Iraqi population: The United Nations (UN) clearly recognizes that such “cultural cleansing” is a specific risk factor of impending genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Read our full letter to Madame Bensouda here. 

RESPONSE BY ANTIQUITIES COALITION CHAIR DEBORAH LEHR ON ISIS’ DESTRUCTION OF THE ANCIENT CITY OF NIMRUD

Every person on the planet should pause after yesterday's violent attack on humanity’s heritage and understand ISIS’ intent not only to control the future of humankind but also to erase and rewrite our past. 

We must unite with global intention to preserve our common heritage and resist ISIS’ effort to steal

Members of ISIS destroy ancient Assyrian statues at the
Mosul Museum in Iraq. Photo Credit: ArtNet

not only our future freedom but also our history, the very roots of our civilization. We need civilizing forces now more than ever and must take steps to protect our priceless historical sites and constrict the terrorists' ability to profit from sale of plundered relics.

We believe the following steps are key:

- Encourage all nations to expeditiously implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 2199 passed on February 12, 2015 that prohibits trade in cultural property from Iraq and Syria. (The resolution, passed with full U.S. support, directs that action be taken within 120 days.) Given that the American market is one of the largest, the U.S. can help lead the way by quickly closing our borders to illicit trafficking in conflict antiquities. 

- End impunity for these crimes against heritage which are documented risk factors of impending genocide, crimes against humanity and crimes of war. The International Criminal Court must immediately open an investigation into these severe violations of international law. UNESCO and other organizations have also called upon the ICC to take action. 

Resources:

Fact Sheet: UN Security Council Resolution 2199 on ISIL 

CONTACT:

KATIE HOOPER

202.494.8766

katie.hooper@wardcirclestrategies.com

Criminal Justice Matters Stealing the Past: Terrorists and the Black Market for Antiquities

March 4, 2015

As part of its "Criminal Justice Matters" series with Stephen Handelman, CUNY TV recently featured Antiquities Coalition Co-Founder Peter Herdrich and John Jay College Professor Erin Thompson in a half hour discussion on the global black market for art and antiquities, and the growing role of terrorist organizations such as ISIL in this cultural racketeering.

Antiquities Coalition Statement on Mosul Museum

Member of ISIS destroyed the priceless Assyrian winged bull
statue at the Mosul Museum. Photo Credit: Vice

Following the events in Mosul last week, the Antiquities Coalition strongly supports the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR), Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), and Society for American Archaeology (SAA) Joint Statement on Cultural Destruction in Iraq. We join our partners ASOR and the AIA in condemning all attacks on heritage, but especially those that are used to intimidate populations through a campaign of terror. The ongoing violence by extremist groups such as ISIL and its affiliates demands swift and effective action. We support UNESCO in its recently announced international coalition against cultural racketeering, including its planned strategic summit on security issues like terrorist financing, which will bring together INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and key regional partners in the Middle East. It is time to start exploring solutions to these global threats against our cultural heritage.


See the AIA Joint Statement HERE

Egypt Organizes an International Conference to Combat the Looting of Culture Heritage in the Arab World

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt intends to organize an international conference addressing the looting of culture and heritage of the Arab world in May, titled "Cultural Heritage under Threat" in Cairo. Several international organizations are participating, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). On Thursday, the Minister of Antiquities Mahmoud El-Damaty released a statement that the conference, held in cooperation between the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Antiquities, and with the participation of UNESCO, will invite several Arab countries, including Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.

The Minister added that this well-timed conference is organized specifically to highlight the significant amount of destruction on irreplaceable identities and heritage of these countries. He said that the conference would discuss cooperative policies in various areas of archaeological work, particularly facing the looting and smuggling of antiquities.

He added that the conference seeks to come up with effective solutions that should be announced on the international level. The conference will also highlight the frameworks dealing with the cultural property markets- both licit and illicit.

Earlier on Thursday, El-Damaty met with Deborah Lehr, chair of the Antiquities Coalition, and Kate Seeley, vice president of the Middle East Institute, both in Washington DC.

Much of the cultural heritage, which includes ancient antiquities and monuments, have been subjected to looting, destruction, and theft during the past few years because of the lack of security and stability in several countries in the Arab region.

*The Antiquities Coalition and the Middle East Institute are also co-sponsors of the "Cultural Heritage under Threat" conference, as both organizations focus on the preservation of cultural heritage in the Arab world.

(original statement can be found in Arabic here)

Egypt Takes the Lead to Combat Looting

The Antiquities Coalition commends the Egypt government’s leadership in the global fight against cultural racketeering – the systematic looting and trafficking of antiquities by criminal organizations or terrorist networks.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, previously
Egyptian Ambassador to the United States - speaking at the
Embassy in Washington, DC in 2011.
Photo Credit: The Capitol Archaeological Institute

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry was in Washington the week of February 15 to build support for Egypt’s efforts to combat extremists.  In his discussions with the White House and the U.S. State Department, he stressed the importance of cutting off sources of funding to groups such as ISIL and al Qaeda, including from cultural racketeering.  These terrorist organizations, as well as organized criminals, are benefiting from the sale of looted antiquities, including those from treasured archaeological sites in Egypt.

Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, Momdouh el Damaty, in partnership with the Egyptian Foreign

(Left to right} Kate Seelye - Senior Vice President of the
Middle East Institute, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities
Mamdouh el Damaty, and Deborah Lehr - Chairman,
the Antiquities Coalition during recent tip to Cairo,
February 2015. Photo Credit: Antiquities Coalition

Ministry, has mobilized their embassies in countries where demand is high for Middle Eastern antiquities. They are actively partnering with auction houses, internet companies and private collectors to stop the sale of looted antiquities. Egyptian artifacts have been seized as far afield as Belgium, Israel, Spain and the United States.  Christies and eBay, for example, have taken steps to ensure they are not sources of illicit antiquities.

In addition, Egypt is convening the countries of the Middle East to develop regional solutions to fight against these terrorist networks. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Antiquities, supported by the Antiquities Coalition and the Middle East Institute, will host a Cairo Summit in May to explore ways to halt terrorist financing though antiquities looting. This Summit will bring together nine countries of the region suffering from cultural racketeering – Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Lebanon, Jordan, and Libya – to join forces in the fight.

The Egyptian government is taking a proactive role in the fight against the cultural racketeers. Ministers Shoukry and el Damaty understand the complexity of the problem and are bringing the resources of two ministries to seek solutions.  Bringing together the combined resources of their government in this fight is an important model that we hope all the invited countries will emulate – as well as cooperating government to government to develop regional solutions that will stop this multi-billion dollar industry from putting money into the pockets of organized criminals, armed insurgents, and terrorists.

SCA press release (9-2-2015): The Arab Republic of Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities Organizes an International Conference Next May to Face the Attempts of Tempering with Cultural Heritage

Edited SCA press release (9-2-2015):

"The Ministry of Antiquities Organizes an International Conference
next May to face the attempts of tempering with cultural heritage.

The Minister of Antiquities Dr. Eldamaty discussed the possibility
of organizing an international conference under the name of "Cultural
Heritage under Threat" to be held in Cairo next May. The conference
will be in collaboration between the Ministries of Antiquities and
Foreign Affairs in contribution with the UNESCO. The Antiquities
Minister met the Chairman of the International Coalition to Protect
Egyptian Antiquities (ICPEA) Deborah Lehr and the Vice President of the
Middle East Institute – Washington, Kate Seely, to study the means of
cooperation in the various fields of archaeology work with the subject
of confronting the processes of smuggling and illegal trade of the
cultural properties as a priority.

The Antiquities Minister clarifies that the idea came in this
particular timing due to what many Arab countries face of terrorist
actions, internal and external wars, insecure and instability of
security after the Arab Spring. Many archaeological areas, museums and
cultural heritage objects were negatively influenced due to such
exceptional incidents. The meeting aimed at the coming out of effective
resolutions to be declared internationally in such cases, and how to
deal with markets that illegally trade with cultural heritage objects.
General Supervisor of the "International Organizations" Department
Ahmed Ebeid added that this conference will open the door for
coordination between the affected countries and allows experience
exchange amongst them to protect their invaluable inheritance. It will
also emphasize the actual size of the people's great loss. He also
added that it has been agreed that a number of Arab Countries are
invited like Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.
Other issues also was discussed at the meeting like the means to
support the joint cooperation to participate in adding new Egyptian
Archaeological sites to the Cultural Heritage List and contact with
countries with previous experience at that field like China.

On the other hand, the General Director of the "Repatriated
Antiquities" Department added that there is a possibility that the
ICPEA could support the Egyptian efforts to document the artifacts
saved at the different stores and museums in Egypt through the use of
modern techniques to create a digital database to facilitate the
process of monitoring the registered, smuggled, and offered for sale
objects. He also added that a possibility to present the technical
support for Egypt to using the satellite technology in determining the
encroachments on archaeological sites was also negotiated at that
meeting. "


Original Arabic Language Article can be found HERE

United Nations Takes a Stand on Cultural Racketeering

Brava to Irina Bokova, Director General of Unesco, and the United Nations!

This past week, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a Russian-led resolution calling for countries to halt the import of illicit cultural property from Iraq and Syria, in order to cut off a key funding source for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Al Nusra Front (ANF), and other Al-Qaida affiliated organizations.

(Image from UNESCO)

Resolution 2199 (2015) sends a strong message by the international community that individuals must not risk funding terrorists by purchasing these blood antiquities, and countries should also close their borders to them during this time of crisis. As ISIL spreads it tentacles into other Middle East countries, antiquities imported from Egypt, Libya, Lebanon, and Turkey, for example, should also be carefully scrutinized to ensure their legitimacy.

Irina Bokova has taken a strong stance against cultural racketeering, and in particular, antiquities looting being used to fund terrorist activities. Slowly but steadily she has worked to lay the foundation for action on this crime against humanity.

After the resolution passed, she called it a “milestone for enhanced protection of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria,” Cultural racketeering, the systematic theft of antiquities by organized crime, “fuels the conflict by providing revenues for armed groups and terrorists. This resolution acknowledges that cultural heritage stands on the front line of conflicts today, and it should be placed on the front line of the security and political response to the crisis,” Bokova noted.

The resolution condemns the destruction and smuggling of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria by ISIL and ANF, “whether such destruction is incidental or deliberate, including targeted destruction of religious sites and objects.” The Security Council, of which the United States is a permanent member, decided “that all Member States shall take appropriate steps to prevent the trade in Iraqi and Syrian cultural property and other items of…historical, cultural, rare scientific and religious importance illegally removed from Iraq since 6 August 1990 and from Syria since 15 March 2011.”

A Syrian Kurdish woman crosses the border
between Syria and Turkey in September 2014. The UN
Security Council has made a new resolution in a
show of international resolve to confront the threat
posed by the militants who overran parts of 
Syria and Iraq. (Image from Strait Times)

While the Security Council has requested that the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), take the lead in coordinating these efforts, the United States is also playing an important role. But there is always more that can be done. For one, the US should move quickly to shut its borders to illicit antiquities from the entire region, since ISIL and ANF-smuggled pieces are being traded far beyond their territory. And to aggressively investigate and shut down the underground networks that trade in these illegal obtained antiquities. 

Damage to the Great Mosque in Aleppo, one of Syria's oldest, 
shows the burning of its library containing thousands 
of rare religious manuscripts. (Image from NY Times)

In addition, to support this spirit of this resolution, Secretary Kerry could continue to raise awareness about the linkages of antiquities looting and terrorist financing. One way to show support is by the United States swiftly signing the Cultural Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Egypt that will allow the State Department to direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement to stop the import of looted antiquities from Egypt. And by proactively seeking to conclude cultural MOUs with additional countries in the region to help shut down this multi-billion dollar illegal trade.

Irina Bokova is a hero in the heritage community for her tireless efforts to bring attention to this critical issue but more important, for taking steps to resolve it. She deserves the full and active support of the United States in this fight.

Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova (Image from UN News Centre)

From Plunder to Preservation: The Untold Story of Cultural Heritage, World War II, and the Pacific

A Conference Marking the 70th Anniversaries of the Battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal

Thursday, November 8, 2014 – Friday, November 9, 2014

Organized by The National Trust for Historic Preservation

Terressa Davis

A lifetime has now passed since the United States entered the Second World War on 8 December 1941. The recent 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor revived interest in World War II, and in particular, the Pacific Theater of Operations. With 2012, 2013, and 2014 also commemorating major battles, focus on the War in the Pacific has only continued to increase.

The Pacific Theater —with its Kamikaze suicide bombings, guerrilla tactics, and nuclear weapons — was a take-no-prisoners fight to the death through island jungles exotic to both the Americans and Japanese. Because the war was fought between civilizations, cultural heritage was a major target, and thus a major casualty.

The FBA, New Orleans Chapter, has assembled a nationally recognized group of speakers, including archaeologists, historians, and lawyers. They will discuss the Empire of Japan’s pillaging and destruction of Asian treasures from Mongolia to Singapore. And they will shed light on the United States’ plan to first destroy —and ultimately spare —historic Kyoto; South Korea's efforts to recover their looted artworks; the fight to prevent the desecration of major battlefields; and the environmental time bomb of sunken battleships, and gravesites themselves, in pristine South Pacific waters.

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PANELISTS
William Cook, J.D., Associate General Counsel, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Tess Davis, J.D., Archeologist, Lawyer and Affiliate Researcher, University of Glasgow, Scotland
Ricardo J. Elia, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Archeology, Boston University
Laura Gongaware, J.D., Bland & Partners, PLLC
Larry Murphy, former Lead Marine Archaeologist for the National Park Service; expert witness in underwater cultural heritage cases.
John Stubbs, Director of Preservation Studies, Tulane University School of Architecture
Mark J. Spalding, President, The Ocean Foundation
Ole Varmer, Attorney-Advisor, International Section, Office of the General Counsel, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Elizabeth Varner, J.D., Executive Director of the National Art Museum of Sport

Digging out of tourism downfalls: Egypt’s archaeology takes the stage

By: Deborah Lehr - Chairman, The Antiquities Coalition

Follow The Antiquities Coalition on Twitter @CombatLooting and follow Deborah Lehr @DMLehr 

Finally, there is good news from Egypt. During a visit to Washington, DC last week, Egyptian 70% this year. Tourists are venturing back to the country despite political turmoil - casting a vote of confidence in General el-Sisi’s efforts to restore economic and political stability since taking office last June. Yet, if General el-Sisi is to successfully revitalize the economy, promoting cultural tourism must be a core part of his strategy.

Tourists admire modern Cairo while exploring the ancient
Sphinx. Photo Credit: Katie Paul, The Antiquities Coalition

Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou announced that travel to Egypt is up

Before the Arab Spring, tourism accounted for approximately 11% of the country’s GDP and was a significant job creator in the economy. In the aftermath of the 2011 Revolution, tourism dropped dramatically to 6.7% of GDP. Foreign travelers have stayed away during the political turmoil of the past three years. The breakdown in the security infrastructure also led to a massive increase in looting at archaeological sites - a devastating loss of irreplaceable cultural material. In the months since General el-Sisi has taken power, Egypt has been slowly rebuilding its reputation as a safe destination for the world’s adventurers.

In 2010, a record number– 14.7 million - of overseas travelers generated revenues of approximately $11 billion for Egypt’s economy. U.S. and European tourists -- lured by Egypt’s romantic past -- flocked there to visit the Great Sphinx of Giza, King Tut’s lavish tomb, and other mysterious ancient sites.  As the security situation improves, now is the time for Egypt to consider new opportunities to promote – and protect – its cultural and aesthetic patrimony. This must be an essential part of its economic revitalization plan.  And there are lessons to be learned from another great ancient civilization, China.

China has embarked on a creative and effective program to protect its cultural heritage and thereby 10.4%. 

Tourists flocking to Hatshepsut's Temple.
Photo Credit: Katie Paul, The Antiquities Coalition

promote tourism. In recent years, the country has sought UNESCO World Heritage designations for its historic sites and geographies. This designation serves a dual purpose: to protect and promote the unique culture of these ancient landmarks, and to encourage tourism to generate revenue. World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) researchers have proven a positive correlation between a World Heritage designation and tourism growth, with a resulting increase in long-term GDP growth. Tracking figures over a 22-year period, the IMF determined that tourism generated by World Heritage status increases growth per capita by an astounding

Not surprisingly, Chinese cities have been aggressively pursuing World Heritage designations - and the results speak for themselves. After receiving a World Heritage Designation, the historic site of Lijiang, in rural Yunnan Province, now hosts over 11 million visitors annually.  The ancient village of Kaiping saw its tourism rise from 100,000 to a staggering two million visitors a year, with revenues of $7.8 million annually, after their inscription to the list in 2007. For rural areas with little industry, cultural tourism has become an economic windfall.

To date, China is tied with Italy as the world’s largest World Heritage destination, with 47 designated sites.  Egypt, equally well known for its rich historical treasures, has a mere six.  

So what can Egypt learn from China?

• Actively pursue UNESCO World Heritage designations.  Egypt has a rich treasure trove of historical sites and geographies that deserve to be on the list.  Yet the last site to receive UNESCO World Heritage Status in Egypt was in 2004. Given the positive economic correlation, it is in Egypt’s interest to tee up a number of sites for approval.
• Build up the tourism infrastructure.  Along with these UNESCO designations must come the appropriate infrastructure to support an influx of tourists – quality hotels, restaurants and multi-lingual, well trained tour guides. Strategic infrastructure investment will have a multiplier effect throughout the local economies surrounding these sites.
• Site preservation and management.  Essential to this strategy is developing plans to protect the historical integrity of the ancient sites. Without adequate advance planning, tourists can destroy the very sites that they have come to admire.
• Strategic public relations campaigns to promote tourism in key markets.  As of spring 2014, Chinese tourists account for one of every ten tourists worldwide. American tourists spend approximately $86 billion on international tourism, but Chinese tourists far surpassed them in 2013, spending a total of $129 billion. And China’s growing middle class has a big appetite for international tourism, so it appears that this is merely the tip of the iceberg, in terms of tourism dollars.

Implementing these recommendations would help grow Egypt's promising bump in tourism, and contribute mightily to the country's economic resurgence. It would be no small task to restore the tourism industry to at least 11 percent of Egypt's GDP, but there is much economic potential in Egypt's undesignated cultural sites. Sites for consideration cover a broad range of Egypt's history, from Pharaonic temples, such as the ancient Temple of Hathor to historic Islamic mosques and Christian monasteries. These are touchstones of our common heritage that should be widely known.

Seeking Unesco World Heritage listings will also help better protect and preserve Egypt’s historic patrimony for all to experience. Yes, it will boost the Egyptian economy, but perhaps more importantly, the stories contained in these ancient sites will inform our understanding of our very foundation in human history.

Digging out of tourism downfalls: Egypt’s archaeology takes the stage appeared in the Huffington Post online on December 17, 2014

A Great Night for ASOR as the Secretary of State Says Thanks

 How would you like to hear the United States Secretary of State say this about you?

“I want to thank Professor Michael Danti for shining a light on what is without question a global, critical challenge… When it comes to elevating the fight to protect the cultural heritage of Iraq and Syria, Michael and his colleagues at the American Schools of Oriental Research are literally the gold standard.”

That was Secretary John Kerry addressing the crowd at a State Department event to underscore the threats to cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was a proud night for our colleagues at ASOR. Under the leadership of Executive Director Andy Vaughn and Professor Michael Danti of Boston University, a dedicated team of American and Syrian scholars is working with the State Department on the Syrian Heritage Initiative. The SHI is a cooperative effort to document comprehensively the current condition of cultural heritage sites in Syria and assess future restoration, preservation, and protection needs. ASOR is taking the lead in the struggle to protect the cultural heritage of war-torn Syria.

ASOR is an original partner in the Antiquities Coalition, supporting our efforts to fight cultural racketeering and to promote and protect the world’s cultural heritage since we began. They are stalwart collaborators and their own efforts in the Middle East clearly impressed the Secretary. At the event on Monday, I saw Andy Vaughn at the reception afterwards as he smiled and humbly accepted compliments and congratulations from the assembled, allowing that Secretary Kerry’s encomium was “pretty cool,” while pointing out that there was still much to be done for the cause of safeguarding Syrian and Iraqi cultural patrimony.

As for Michael Danti, he directly preceded Secretary Kerry on stage to talk about the horrors inflicted in Syria and Iraq by the Islamic State. His presentation of the facts, accompanied by dramatic photos from Mosul and Dura Europos, drove home to the audience just how perfidious the terrorists are in their zeal to eradicate opposition and in their willful destruction of cultural sites and materials. And Michael had reason to be proud when he also heard this from Secretary Kerry. “Michael was the first American archeologist in more than half a century to gain access to the Zagros Mountains, and that's the Iraqi Kurdistan Region along the Turkish and Iranian border. And he traveled to Syria for more than two decades, right up until the conflict erupted, researching Syria's ancient heritage. And we are all profoundly grateful for his commitment.” Michael was swept up by a press maelstrom after the event, though he did tell me later, “I felt very honored to speak to such a distinguished audience on a topic that I hold dear.”

Other leaders of the Syrian Heritage Initiative are Scott Branting (ASOR), Jesse Casana (University of Arkansas), Abdal-Razzaq Moaz (Indiana University and ASOR), and LeeAnn Barnes Gordon (ASOR).

We will leave it to Professor Susan Ackerman of Dartmouth, who leads ASOR as its President, to put this evening in perspective. “It's a great day for us to be so prominently and publicly recognized and signals just how important our work to safeguard Syria's (and Iraq's) cultural heritage is, both for us as an organization and for the remains of the ancient Near Eastern past that we all hold so dear.”

It was indeed a great day for our friends at ASOR. And it was a great night for cultural heritage too. As pleased as everyone is to see the Antiquities Coalition’s partners lauded so prominently, we are pleased to hear this ringing endorsement and promise of help for preservation goals from the Secretary of State. John Kerry gets the final word. “I want you to know that President Obama and our Administration are laser-focused on protecting the cultural heritage of countries all around the world… Our heritage is literally in peril in this moment, and we believe it is imperative that we act now. We do so knowing that our leadership, the leadership of the United States, can make a difference and that the fight to protect the cultural heritage of Iraq and Syria isn’t just about shared values. It’s about protecting a shared legacy.”