Help may be on the way, however.
As a result of efforts by UB and Samuel Paley, professor of classics
and a leading archaeologist of the ancient Middle East, ancient Nineveh
and Nimrud have been added to the 2002 World Monuments Fund Watch List
of the 100 Most Endangered Sites.
With the encouragement of the United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), John Russell of the Massachusetts College of Art,
Paley and the UB College of Arts and Sciences nominated the sites for
inclusion in the list and proposed a two-part overall action plan to preserve
them.
The World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a New York-based nonprofit organization
dedicated to preserving and safeguarding the historic, artistic and architectural
heritage of humankind.
The fund's biennial watch list is a call to action on behalf of threatened
cultural-heritage monuments, bringing them to international attention
and helping to raise the funds needed for their rescue.
"Nimrud and Nineveh represent a conservation emergency that requires
immediate attention," says Paley, who is helping to create a virtual-reality
version of the ancient palace of Ashur-nasir-pal II at Nimrud for an online
museum of archaeology.
Renderings of the original palace can be viewed at www.learningsites.com/NWPalace/NWP_Render_archives.htm.
"Archaeological sculptures from both sites still appear on the art market,"
Paley warns, "and in the case of Nimrud, there is still no site inventory
to discourage the trade. The sculptures are not ancillary decorations,
but integral parts of the structures themselves."
With modest funding and WMF support, however, Paley says the market for
looted architectural fragments can be reduced, and the sites can be thoroughly
assessed by qualified heritage professionals and stabilized, conserved
and protected. A security regimen can be established as well, which may
prevent further looting and damage to existing structures.
For many landmarks, inclusion in the WMF list is their best hope for
survival. It also may spur local governments to take an active role in
protecting cultural icons in their regions. The Iraqi government strongly
supported preservation of its many unique archaeological treasures until
the Gulf War damaged many of the ancient structures and drove the nation
into virtual destitution. The latter increased the looting of museums
and archaeological sites for items that could be sold on the art market.
Paley says the fact that the United Nations recently reduced its post-war
sanctions against Iraq may permit the transmission of heritage assistance
to that country. Highly visible international interest coupled with the
hiring of local workers, many of whom are unemployed, will, he hopes,
instill a local interest in the sites' well being.
According to the nominators, UNESCO already has received permission from
the UN Iraq Sanctions Committee to undertake work in Iraq and the Iraqi
Directorate General of Antiquities and Heritage has pledged the full cooperation,
assistance and support it has provided in the past.
"Nimrud and Nineveh are fragile, damaged places," Paley says. "They need
to be attended to soon, before they deteriorate even further. The current
Middle East conflict is likely to hamper our efforts. We hope it's over
quickly so we can begin our preservation work before it's too late."
Besides Nimrud and Nineveh, the 2002 List of 100 Most Endangered Sites
includes 42 places in Europe, 20 in Asia, 16 in Africa and the Middle
East, and 22 in the Americas.
