WARASANERASEROFOURPAST

By Ezra Pavoncelli '25

Our history as a species has been filled with countless civilisations that crafted objects and left their mark on our timeline Archaeologists spend their lives trying to piece together the enormous and extensive puzzle that is our past. But when puzzle pieces are missing, it's all the more difficult, if not impossible, to build a holistic understanding.

While humans are an intelligent, advanced species that has the ability to construct, we also have the ability to destroy. War is a devastating force for a plethora of reasons, particularly in regard to the well-being, safety, and lives of those who have been exposed to it. Where conflicts lurk, areas are left demolished, unkept, and unprotected. A more subtle but consistent impact of war is the loss of history and all its riches of knowledge

Such was the case in 2003, during the invasion of Iraq by the USA. The coalition military entry came after an airstrike on the Presidential Palace, killing 1 civilian and injuring 14 others The invasion commenced in the city of Al Basra through Kuwait, as well as from the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian borders with Iraq. After 3 weeks, the battle of Baghdad had begun and it would be won 6 days later by coalition forces

Iraq is a culturally rich country, having ties to Mesopotamia as well as the advanced systems they used, such as their knowledge of astronomy and mathematics It contains records of the oldest known written language, Sumerian, that could be traced as far back as approximately 3000 BCE. Naturally, the country has museums and libraries that protect and maintain these priceless artefacts Some of the most notable include the Iraq Museum, the Awqaf Library, and the Library of Iraq and National Centre for Archives. During the 2003 invasion, American officials stated that other sites were deemed to be more essential to protect

The invasion of Iraq forced the museum and library staff to scramble to stash away as many records and artefacts as possible Not only were the historic treasures broken, stolen, or sold, but the very records that marked their presence were also destroyed during the looting. The most reliable estimate for the number of objects lost is around 15 000, of which around 7,000 have been recovered Some substantiated theories speculated that objects were destroyed during the lootings, stolen and/or sold through illegal markets, while others may have been kept as private property Some were recovered unintentionally, whereas others were returned in exchange for a monetary reward.

The so-called Baghdad batteries were most likely broken during the invasion of Iraq. These are pieces of human history that we may never recover or have a satisfactory understanding of their purpose.

Among the ancient relics that were not recovered, is a set consisting of a ceramic pot, an iron rod and a copper cylinder. It was first discovered in 1936 with other similar jars around the vicinity in the southeastern area of Baghdad and was originally overlooked That was until closer attention was paid to the strange combination of materials These finds were entitled the “Baghdad Batteries,” after the initial hypothesis made by some archaeologists at the time. They believed that it could have functioned like a battery, however, there was not sufficient evidence from the object Others hypothesised that this could have been a device used for electroplating, though once again, this was heavily disputed due to lack of evidence in the form of electroplated items One theory that does appear to have evidence is that these jars were used to hold small slips of paper for ritualistic purposes. While some of the jars remain in other countries, namely Germany, they were not identical to those that were lost

“This story ends with a stark reminder of the cost of war not only to those who lived through it but to the memories of those who lived before and to the knowledge of those who will come after”

-Milo Rossi, Archaeologist, University of Maine

We often take for granted our ability to study the past. The sheer amount of fossils, artefacts, and even oral traditions that have not been preserved is unimaginable. It is all the more saddening to see pieces that have survived for centuries or millennia be lost to human greed, violence, and war When relics of the past are stolen or destroyed, we lose countless opportunities to learn more about ourselves Human civilisation, culture, and genius are ever-changing things that should not be discarded but rather cherished It is a mark of where we are now, where we have come from and where we will be in the future. Pieces of our history may withstand the test of time, but they cannot endure the atrocities of war, nor the devastating consequences of it.