Parts
of ancient Babylon have been irreparably damaged and
severely contaminated by US and Polish forces, according
to a report by the British Museum's John Curtis. Dr
Curtis, head of the Department of the Ancient Near East,
was allowed access to the site that was established
as a camp by the US military shortly after the invasion
of Iraq.
His report details how the original
brick surface of a 6th century BC processional route
has been crushed by tank tracks. The famous Ishtar Gate
has been damaged by attempts to remove decorated bricks
and trenches have been dug into the zigguarat, the basis
for the legend of the Tower of Babel. He describes how
acres of the site have been levelled, covered with imported
gravel and sprayed with chemicals which, together with
fuel, are seeping into unexcavated buried deposits.
Two 20m long trenches have been dug through the site
and thousands of tonnes of archaeological material lie
in spoil heaps or have been used to fill sandbags and
mesh crates. 
Babylon was the centre of the Babylonian
empire and the capital of Hammurabi (1792-1750BC) who
introduced the world's first code of law, and of Nebuchadnezzar
(604-562BC). Dr Curtis says that his 14-page report
'should not be seen as exhaustive', but is only 'indicative'
of the types of damage caused.
Web Links :
Guardian
Article(Maev Kennedy)
British
Museum's Iraq crisis page
Francis
Deblauwe's 'Iraq War and Archaeology' site
'The
threat to world heritage in Iraq' site
History
Network
February
2005
