NBC News reports that ICOM is working on a Syrian Red List of Antiquities at Risk. Unfortunately, the unfolding tragedy in Syria again seems to have encouraged others to use it as yet another opportunity to pursue an anti-collecting agenda, complete with the usual cast of villains and stratospheric valuations of objects that have allegedly been looted.
CPO nonetheless wishes to join others in their concern about the consequences for archaeology of the chaos in Syria. Syria has far fewer sites than Iraq, but the disintegration of government authority across the country will surely put these, and the treasures in Syria's museums, at risk. Many Syrian artifacts are self-evident to the knowledgeable scholar and collector, and while most do not reach the level of high art, CPO counsels against acquisition of anything that is clearly of Syrian origin from anything other than reputable sources.
It continues to be a dark shame that much Syrian archaeology is so little documented. The inventory of the Damascus Museum's, a true gem among museums in the Middle East, filled with crucially important material, is meager in comparison to what it holds. The same is true of Syria's other regional museum. Perhaps worse, excavations have done little to fully document what they have dug up, or allocated funds necessary to make full records of the material they have uncovered. It is always easier and more fun to dig than to record or publish. But the consequences of such negligence have been apparent in Iraq, and now stare us in the face in Syria.
What are we to do about it?
Showing posts with label Syria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Syria. Show all posts
The Aleppo Codex Mystery
The New York Times has an interesting article about the mystery how the Aleppo Codex came to Israel and how it might have lost some 200 pages along the way. It does ask whether the Codex should belong to the Modern State of Israel or Aleppo's Jewish exiles. It does not suggest, however, like some in the archaeological blogosphere have, that the Codex still belongs in Syria, which conducted a thorough "ethnic cleansing" of its Jewish population well before the Assad regime began its recent bombardment of Aleppo itself. Interestingly, even some associated with the hard line archaeological advocacy group Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE) have begun to acknowledge that perhaps Jewish artifacts are not best off in the hands of governments that have persecuted Jews after all. Will others in the archaeological blogosphere follow?
Archaeo-Blogger Advocates Repatriating Jewish Bible to War Torn Syria?
Archaeo-Blogger Paul Barford has sought to bait me with this blog about a new book concerning the Aleppo Codex. See http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2012/05/aleppo-codex-decidedly-more-imperiled.html
Barford apparently thinks the Aleppo Codex would have been better off left in Syria, even though the Syrian Government has persecuted Syria�s Jewish culture virtually out of existence, and now Aleppo itself is under threat.
I uploaded this comment in response on his blog, but he has not had the courtesy to post it:
I doubt I will have a chance to read the book, but even if it is true the Codex has suffered somewhat since coming to Israel, that does not establish that it would have been better off in the clutches of the anti-Semitic Baathist regime in Syria, which in case you have not been reading the news, is now involved in a civil war against its own people. (And if memory serves which has specifically targeted Aleppo for retribution).
But this begs the question whether you too believe the test should be "where the artifact is better off." Please elaborate.
If Barford wants to bait someone, he should have the courtesy to allow that person to respond.
Barford apparently thinks the Aleppo Codex would have been better off left in Syria, even though the Syrian Government has persecuted Syria�s Jewish culture virtually out of existence, and now Aleppo itself is under threat.
I uploaded this comment in response on his blog, but he has not had the courtesy to post it:
I doubt I will have a chance to read the book, but even if it is true the Codex has suffered somewhat since coming to Israel, that does not establish that it would have been better off in the clutches of the anti-Semitic Baathist regime in Syria, which in case you have not been reading the news, is now involved in a civil war against its own people. (And if memory serves which has specifically targeted Aleppo for retribution).
But this begs the question whether you too believe the test should be "where the artifact is better off." Please elaborate.
If Barford wants to bait someone, he should have the courtesy to allow that person to respond.
The Aleppo Codex
The archaeological blogosphere has been full of comments about the pros and cons of repatriating the Iraqi Jewish archive. Yet, there has been no discussion of the far more culturally significant Aleppo Codex that left another country hostile to Jewish culture years ago. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleppo_Codex
The Codex left Syria well before academic archaeologists began to press for repatriation even where such returns raise serious questions about preservation of the objects in question.
The Codex is clearly better off in Israel than in Syria. The strong likelihood is that the Iraqi Jewish archive would be more likely to be preserved and studied as well if it remains outside of a hostile Iraq. Yet, our State Department as well as its supporters in the archaeological community apparently do not see it that way. They plan to accede to Iraqi demands for repatriation, although there are no guarantees the archive will be available for academic study or even preserved.
Will there also be calls for the return of the Aleppo Codex? Or, is the analysis different because it left Syria well before the 1970 UNESCO Convention was promulgated?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleppo_Codex
The Codex left Syria well before academic archaeologists began to press for repatriation even where such returns raise serious questions about preservation of the objects in question.
The Codex is clearly better off in Israel than in Syria. The strong likelihood is that the Iraqi Jewish archive would be more likely to be preserved and studied as well if it remains outside of a hostile Iraq. Yet, our State Department as well as its supporters in the archaeological community apparently do not see it that way. They plan to accede to Iraqi demands for repatriation, although there are no guarantees the archive will be available for academic study or even preserved.
Will there also be calls for the return of the Aleppo Codex? Or, is the analysis different because it left Syria well before the 1970 UNESCO Convention was promulgated?
Labels:
Archaeologists,
Iraq,
Repatriation,
State Department,
Syria,
Torah Scrolls
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