US-led forces leave a trail of
destruction and contamination in architectural site of world importance
Troops from the US-led force in Iraq have caused widespread damage and
severe contamination to the remains of the ancient city of Babylon,
according to a damning report released today by the British Museum.
John Curtis, keeper of the museum's Ancient Near East department and an
authority on Iraq's many archaeological sites, found "substantial
damage" on an investigative visit to Babylon last month. The ancient
city has been used by US and Polish forces as a military depot for the
past two years, despite objections from archaeologists. "This is
tantamount to establishing a military camp around the Great Pyramid in
Egypt or around Stonehenge in Britain," says the report, which has been
seen by the Guardian. Among the damage found by Mr Curtis, who was
invited to Babylon by Iraqi antiquities experts, were cracks and gaps
where somebody had tried to gouge out the decorated bricks forming the
famous dragons of the Ishtar Gate. [more]
Pictured above: US
soldiers enter the ancient city of Babylon. A damning report by the
British Museum revealed that US-led forces in Iraq have caused irreparable damage to the site of the ancient city of
Babylon, contaminating the soil and destroying archaeological evidence.
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