Erasing Memory: The Cultural Destruction of Iraq

Synopsis: Part of a 13-part series entitled SHOCKING AND AWFUL, produced by independent video activists and distributed in the US on Free Speech TV and community access channels. The series addresses the implications and consequences of the US’s recent military actions, and shows how people are mobilizing through art, actions, and international law.

This programme details the horrendous destruction of the oldest treasures of human civilization held in the museums and archives of Iraq, in the wake of the U.S. invasion of 2003. Millennia of history were bombed, looted and destroyed then. With them went much of our precious memory and knowledge of Iraq as a cradle of human civilization. Much of the footage shown is from the time and place of the destruction, which stands as a prime example of the loss of treasured cultural patrimony that often is caused by war.
Series: Shocking and Awful, Series
Language: English
Country: United States
Year of release: 2006
Year of production: 2006
Subjects: Archaeology
Keywords: ancient civilisations; Iraq; military operations; war; archaeological sites

Name: Archaeology Channel, The
Contact: Richard Pettigrew (president and director)
Web: http://www.archaeologychannel.org External site opens in new window
Notes: The Archaeology Channel is one of the initiatives of the US-based Archaeological Legacy Institute. The marketplace section of the Channel’s website sells a range of DVDs on archaeological topics. The site also streams documentaries in their entirety, free of charge. American archaeology is strongly represented but the extensive collection also covers worldwide content. Audio commentaries and interviews with archaeologists are also available free online .

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British Universities Film & Video Council