US ARMY RETRACING THE “MASK OF WARKA” THAT WENT MISSING DURING A WAR ENDS UP BUSTING MANY SECRETS

 

The United States changed the face of international politics when it entered Iraq to change its politicals scenario. No need to say that time got marked as one of the most chaotic times that Iraq faced. What added to the fire was a piece of news that broke out amid the turbulence. The precious Mask of Warka was not there in its case. It had gone missing or perhaps someone had taken it away. The American force along with its allies took the task of finding back the invaluable artifact. Do they succeed?

The War

The Iraq war is one of the most remembered wars in the history of mankind. This war was fought in 1991 under the regime of President George H.W. Bush. The war came into sight right after the downfall of Saddam Hussain. 

Paying Back

The war was a retaliation to the invasion made by Saddam Hussein in Kuwait. The journey had just started and it was going to take long 12 years for America and its allies to work as an unstoppable force against them. Little did anyone know the war was not only going to jeopardize the present but the country’s past too. 

The Fall Of A Regime

Seizure of Hussain caused some serious repercussions in Iraq. Violence had erupted in its worst form. People began fighting each other in the street. Citizens started to plunder local shops and monuments. It was not a good sight to watch. The territories were blanketed with smoke and everywhere was the cry of people.

Missing

But the biggest blow was caused to the museum that got some of its precious antiques stolen. Ahmed Kamil who is a specialist on cuneiform writing of Mesopotamia explained while on a private tour of the museum, “Some things are safe and we are thankful for this.” He further suspected, “But it is impossible to put a value on the things that are gone.”

Mask Of Warka

According to the records, about 40 invaluable artifacts disappeared from the National Museum of Iraq. Mask of Warka also makes to that stolen list of artifacts.  

An Incredible Discovery

The Mask of Warka was found by Dr. A. Noldeke, a German archaeologist in 1939. It was one of the kind masonries that had a woman’s face carved on it. The piece was situated in the south of modern-day Baghdad. Noldeke at first glance thought it was a part of a much larger statue. However, he realized its real value not before he picked the piece. 

The Lady Of Uruk

It was an interesting piece. They decided to do elaborate research for that. After extensive research, Dr. Noldeke labeled the mask to be a possession belonging to 3100 BC. It turned out to be the oldest mask ever to be made. Clearly, this artifact was a precious discovery.  

Goddess Inanna

The Lady Of Warka represents the goddess Inanna. The goddess power over love, beauty, desire, justice, political war, and many more. She is also known as the “Queen of Heaven.” The piece was discovered in a worship spot in Uruk, an ancient city. 

Mona Lisa Of Mesopotamia

The artifact is more famous as Mona Lisa of Mesopotamia. It is one of the most precious findings in history that lets historians get a peek into the past lives of humankind. It was a very important discovery. However, the artifact was soon going to suffer a blow when it went missing.

Beautifully Carved From Marble

A mentioned earlier, the archeologists believe that the face of the mask is of goddess Inanna. The mask is made of marble and is hardly 8 inches tall. It was believed that the face belonged to a larger statue. However, this amazing piece got missing after the conflict and loot. 

Priceless Artifacts

Mask of Warka occupies the first spot in the list of 30 priceless artifacts. It demonstrates the civilization’s early development. The mask has been considered of high significance. It helps historians to see how far have we come as a human race. 

The Hunt Begins

After Hussain was dethroned, the Iraqi police were deployed all across the country to prevent any further problems and restore peace and order back. So, the responsibility to find back the missing artifacts fell upon the U.S. armed forces. The task was given to Matthew Bogdanos, Marine Reserve Colonel who kicked off his search in April 2003.

Canvassing The City

So, the task began. The U.S. forces and the Iraqi police came together to launch a wide search all across the country. After a little effort, the authorities managed to trace the movements of artifacts in the Iraqi black market. But how did they find out where the mask was? 

Leading Up To Truth

This all happened because of the rumors and informants. The officer got several clues and hints from them that eventually took him and his team to an Iraqi informant who claimed that he knows the whereabouts of the mask.     

The Man And The Mask

The informant came into contact with Bogdanos and his team in the restructured National Museum of Iraq that had turned into a base camp for the artifact recovery efforts. He informed the officers that he knows where those precious pieces are kept. The officer asked him if the possessions included the mask or not. 

Was It There?

He could not tell if the pieces included the mask or not. The informant suspected that the artifacts were buried under a farm. The illegal traders would often stash the collection of artifacts under the farms. Here too, the stolen goods were buried under the field.

The Frightened Boy

The clues took Bogdanos and his team to a scared boy who gave the investigative team some information. The information provided directed them to a smuggler who knew about the farm and its location. The officers kick-started their investigation based on information provided by a terrified kid. How far do you think did they go?

Something To Be Done

They had gotten a solid lead but before raiding the place, the team decided to perform a reconnaissance mission. The mission was launched to see if the region was safe or not. They did not want to give way to any violent retaliation.   

Getting To Him

Misil reminisces, “The juvenile led us to an older man, who then passed us on to a man who had the Mona Lisa buried in his backyard adjoining a farm.” “We found her wrapped in an ordinary white cotton cloth buried under half a foot of earth in his backyard.”

Intact And Undamaged

Bogdanos explained, “Initially they didn’t find the Mask, but they found the owner of the farm– it’s a farm in northern Baghdad– and after interviewing the farmer, he admitted that he did in fact have an antiquity, in this case the Mask, buried in the back of his farm. The investigators went behind the farm and uncovered the Mask exactly where he had placed it, and it is intact and undamaged.”

The Raid Is Set

Once his team had done all the inspection of the area, Colonel Bogdanos gave permission for the raid to take place. The team thronged the location although the chances of finding the mask there was quite slim. Maybe the mask was no there at all.    

Hope Fades

Bogdanos had not kept his hopes high as he was not sure if they would find the mask there. Despite that, the team questioned the farm’s owner who admitted that there were a number of rare artifacts tucked under his property. So was the precious mask one of them?   

Finally Found

The police did not have to dig in deeper as the team found the objects only the six inches inside the dirt. The objects were covered in clothes and plastic bags. Luck was in their favor as they found the Lady of Uruk among the recovered objects.   

Another Insider Tip

Even after locating the stolen artifacts, their journey did not end. The team found another tip leading them to a field in proximity to Tikrit. They dug deep in the rubble and rock and found treasure keeping weapons including 23 anti-aircraft missiles.

Never In One Place

People having an association with the Lady of Uruk suggested that the mask barely remained in one place for a long time after it went missing. The mask changed many hands before ending up on the farm. The farmer did not want to get arrested and so decided to bury the goods under his farm.     

Dirty But Important

Vance Kohner, the reserved captain said, “She’s a little dirtier — who wouldn’t be after what she’s been through? –but otherwise in excellent condition.” Kohner had given months in the search of the mask and was extremely happy when the mask was found.

Gorgeous Piece

A Massachusetts College of Art professor, John Malcolm Russell said, “It’s one of the most gorgeous pieces of antiquity.” “It’s as beautiful as any classical sculpture, but 2,500 years earlier, and it’s in all the art history books. It’s the second-best news after the return of the Warka vase.”

One Small Piece

According to the theory postulated by the archeologists, the mask was just a small part of a much larger statue. As the mask is crafted with white marble, the missing part of the statue must be made of wood and some other unique metals.    

More Than Meets The Eye

The archeologists also believe that the marble worked just as a base for the face adding that the mask had gold leaf or copper. And also the eyes of the mask had jewels stuffed in them. There is no second thought that the mask is precious but its value would have been way more about 5,200 years ago.   

Ancient Civilization

The era in which the mask was made holds great significance. It came about in Sumerian civilization which happens to be the first civilization that invented writing. And this mask symbolized people of those time and also a reborn nation.    

Returned Home

No need to say, Baghdad’s The Iraqi National Museum was rejoiced on having the Mask of Warka back. Though there was not much celebration, the loss of the mask could have been one of the biggest tragedy in the history of archeology.

Internal Wars

The country was still going through internal wars. However, this did not belittle Bogdanos and his team’s accomplishment. It was indeed a big achievement that prevented a significant part of history to get destroyed. 

No Security

Col. Walid Misil, a Baghdad police spokesman explained, “We have no idea how many artifacts we’ve lost for good.” “After Baghdad fell, there was no police, all the borders were open. Any gangster and smuggler could come and loot our art, just like that.”

Eminent Historians

The structure was built thousands of years ago but the mask is still gaining laurels from eminent historians. Giorgia Fiorio says, “The Lady is one of several archetypal heads I am looking at, a mark from the origin and the most important one. The origin is something that when we perceive it, it takes place inside you. Why are the archetypal heads immutable?”

Generates Itself In You

The man stated further, “Because they continue inside the viewer. This is the role of the archetype and it imprints itself in you. It generates itself in you. And by definition, it has a fractal quality. It is infinite.” Isn’t it amazing?

Still Missing

According to the list made by the workers of Baghdad museum about 13,000 artifacts that were plundered off the museum are still not in sight. The Lady of Warka is known to be the oldest life-size sculptures and was taken as the item No. 2.

Stupid Plan

A Baghdad jewelry store owner Hassan (not his real name) called the idea of selling the good foolish. He explained, “Something like this is so famous we must not touch it — it’s too hot to handle,” he said. “Whoever wanted to sell it abroad must have been very stupid. “

Good Living

Hassan further said, “I pay looters very little, because they don’t know what these things are worth.”  “I would pay $50 apiece, then sell them to dealers for $5, 000. You can make a very good living selling these things.”

Serious Concern

Illegal trading has grown into a serious concern for the country. An Iraq specialist and professor of archaeology at Stony Brook University,  Elizabeth Stone says, “The trade in illegal artifacts operates exactly the same as money laundering or the drug trade.” She further states, “The potential for corruption is immense — the money could be used for drugs or even to fund terrorism.”

Back Where She Belongs

To be honest, the officers had lost the hope of finding the mask back. But the mask was meant to stay in her case. Maybe that is why she found her way back to the museum. This is just not an incredible story but also an alarming truth about the increasing audacities of smugglers.