Abstract: Hell Hath No Fury: How the Looting of the Iraq Museum Changed the Way Archaeologists Think about Armed Conflict
This lecture is dedicated in memory of Dr. Donny George, former director of the Iraq National Museum, who was an inspiration for us all. In 2003, the archaeological community united in shared outrage over the tragic looting of the Iraq Museum. Later, damage and looting of archaeological sites also became apparent in Iraq, including preventable damage to sites at or near Coalition bases. With a renewed determination to prevent such damage in future conflicts, archaeologists began to think about how they could contribute to the preservation of collections and archaeological sites during armed conflict. Wegener will talk about her experiences working with archaeologists, both while in Iraq and later, developing cultural preservation training for the U.S. military and lobbying for U.S. ratification of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.