Miami University

History professor emeritus calls for restoration of Babylon

07/21/2009

Miami University history professor emeritus Edwin Yamauchi is featured on the July 14 homepage of Jurist, a legal news and research Web site at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, supporting UNESCO's (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recommendations to restore and protect Babylon, the ancient city of Iraq.

UNESCO’s “Final Report on Damage Assessment in Babylon,” released July 9, lists recommendations for Babylon’s future protection, restoration and management. The archeological site of Babylon was used as an army base from 2003-04, resulting in substantial damage by “digging, cutting, scraping and leveling.”

Yamauchi, renowned for his religious antiquities knowledge and president of the Near East Archaeological Society, believes “the insensitive and unnecessary disregard for the preservation of such an extraordinary site was an outrageous assault on Iraq’s most important ancient city.”

Yamauchi supports the report’s six recommendations and added a seventh. “That the United States offer funds to repair the site to make amends for our failure to safeguard the integrity of this most important city.”

The full story can be found at Babylon.