As we grieve for our lost and injured troops, it may seem maudlin to mourn for the stolen and destroyed artifacts that once graced Iraq's majestic historic sites and national treasures. Even as I write, yet another life and another one of more than 10,000 ancient ruins may have been lost, never to be seen again. Although a long debate has waged over the cause of such a waste, is it simply another tragedy of war? It might seem simple, but the blame for the loss of one of the earliest civilizations of mankind cannot so easily be placed.
Greed and the Antiquities Market
It is true that greed is perhaps the ultimate culprit in this devastating scenario. Even if so, the debate does not stop there, for the greed of more than one entity is most probably to blame for the disappearance of some of the most important archaeological pieces of all time. Most archaeology enthusiasts do not question the impact of the antiquities dealer, both legal and black-market, for they and their collectors fuel the demand for such coveted pieces.However, worldwide, it is suspected that unscrupulous antiquities dealers sent their henchmen ahead of the coalition invasion in order to wait for an opportunity to cherry-pick their customer's preorders. As disturbing as this premeditation may be, it is easy to surmise that if the coalition forces had afforded adequate protection to museums and historical sites upon their initial invasion, perhaps the losses would not have been so staggering. Again, however, does the blame end here? It should be so simple. Had the people of Iraq not had sanctions forced upon them for decades, the rampant looting may still not have occurred despite the dealer's efforts and the staging of war. As Iraq's starving population struggled to find a way to provide for itself, the lifting of an artifact here or there in exchange for sustenance seemed a small price to pay for a full stomach.
