Not digging in: War in Middle East puts many archaeological projects on hold

Jennifer Knight

Wednesday, April 2, 2003 | 10:59 a.m.

Doss Powell is waiting for the war in Iraq to end so that his professional academic career can begin.

Not many potential careers hinge on peace in the Middle East, but Powell's progress toward earning his Ph.D. in anthropology relies heavily on anti-American tensions easing so he can complete his work in Jordan and his degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"For me, (the war) pushes everything back, including the completion of my degree," Powell said. "For researchers in academia, until you can complete that Ph.D., you are in transition. You're in the middle."

Powell's scheduled return to Wadi Feinan, Jordan, has been postponed until December. It's there he hopes to finish his research on prehistoric inhabitants of Jordan and how they switched to an agricultural-based society 10,000 years ago.

"I really don't have that much to complete on my research," Powell said. "But right now, I'm in limbo."

The war with Iraq has led scientists to place archaeology projects on hold in areas such as Jordan, Syria and Yemen until the ripple effects of the U.S.-led action subside. And while tensions kicked up by the war have led to uncertainty for researchers traveling to that area, a resolution to the situation in Iraq could ultimately provide archaeologists and anthropologists unlimited access to the country for the first time in 12 years.

McGuire Gibson, a professor of Mesopotamian archaeology at the University of Chicago, says that for now, American researchers have stopped working on projects in several countries in the Middle East.

"No one is working in Syria anymore and no one is working in Jordan," said Gibson, who studied in Iraq from 1968 until 1990. "Intellectual life has come to a halt in general until this is over." Representatives of Earthwatch, one of the nation's largest nonprofit sponsors of research abroad, said they have been forced to abandoned projects in the Middle East due to instability.

"In the past we have had projects in Tunisia, Oman, Turkey and Israel," said Blue Magruder, director of public affairs for Earthwatch. "These are all countries where we have done projects before and we are no longer doing them."

In the long run, the promise of political stability in Iraq could open a host of academic opportunities for a new generation of students.

"No English or British expeditions have taken place in Iraq since 1990," Gibson said. "That means that a whole set of students who came to study with me have had to shift to places like Yemen, Syria and Turkey. It means that their careers have been affected by it."

Alan Simmons, a UNLV professor specializing in Near East and Mediterranean anthropology, described the region as a "layer cake" of history that many experts are interested in uncovering.

"I suppose in an ironic way, if Saddam is deposed and occupation begins, we might see a lot of excavations and archaeological digs in Iraq," said Simmons, who has supervised Powell's work in Jordan. "It's kind of a bad way to get back into the country."

Powell said if his work in Jordan was completed and an opportunity for research in Iraq arose, he would go.

"If it's something (Iraq) wants then by all means, we are interested in studying there," he said.

Beneath the battlefields that U.S. troops are fighting on is a mosaic of unearthed archaeological sites that stretch from prehistoric man to 3,500 B.C. It is where civilization sprang to life long before the advances of Greek, Roman and Egyptian culture. It is a place where Biblical prophets walked, kings presided and conquerors reigned.

In fact, the land where U.S. troops are treading is considered to be the cradle of civilization.

In Nasiriyah, U.S. Marines battled for nearly a week against Iraqi troops. Just 20 miles southwest of that city is the ancient city of Ur, suspected by some scholars to be the location of the Garden of Eden.

Last Sunday, the 3rd Infantry Division passed Karbala, just 30 miles east of Babylon, an area that was once the commercial and cultural center of the Middle East for almost 2,000 years.

Even if war wanes and the country opens up, archaeologists such as Gibson fear they might find these sites in poor condition.

The fear is that unprotected areas will be crushed under the weight of military tanks or ruined by mortar fire. The U.S. government has promised to preserve sites whenever they can, but Gibson said there's little doubt there will be damage.

"Regardless of what they try to go around, there's going to be tremendous damage to those sites," Gibson said.

During the decade of sanctions, some of the richest archaeological sites may have already been plundered by hungry Iraqis trying to feed their families by digging up antiquities and selling them on the black market.

"It's just like the drug trade," Gibson said. "It's an illegal substance that people want and they are willing to pay top dollar to get them. And no one asks questions."

Powell said that even if excavations do resume, supporting the dig and maintaining the site long after researchers have left could be another obstacle.

"I think it will open up some opportunities, but at the same time the can of worms that might come with it is that once we do dig it up, where is the money going to come (from) to preserve the sites?" Powell said.

One thing is for sure, Gibson says: While U.S. and Iraqi troops continue fighting, archaeologists will have to wait for some time to assess what damage has been done to history.

"These people are going to take their time," Gibson said. "And both sides are going to dig in their heels and the places they are digging their heels into are most often archeological sites."

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