Art History Journal

I think it's sad that many historical works of art have been destroyed or have disappeared during the Iraq war. Each piece is a glimpse into the history of art and a look into the culture from which they originated. In saying this, with the destruction of these artifacts, it has also caused destruction of history. For this reason I wish a greater care had been taken to protect the artifacts and that people would have considered the harm their actions would cause. Unfortunately, care was not taken, so now many treasures have been lost. This is a tragedy because of the evidence of past culture that has been mislaid.

What can be done about the looting and destruction of these items? It seems like the antiquities (at least some) were in unprotected areas. Many artifacts were in the ground, vulnerable, giving all kinds of opportunities for them to be snatched up. In saying this, better security of the artifacts would be an important step. Also, keeping the antiquities in places where they would not be so easily attained and taking a greater stand against the plundering and devastation going on would be a smart step. This could mean introducing greater security or making an attempt to have specific storage areas for relics.

Unfortunately, this devastation is not just a past event. The continued destruction and stealing is being carried out even now. I hope that a stand will be taken with the purpose of recovering what has been lost and protecting that which is still secure. There is so much history to be found in Iraq antiquities and this history needs to be preserved.