Thursday, October 25, 2007

Research News: British university forced to return 'looted' Iraq treasure

The News:
British university forced to return 'looted' Iraq treasure
By Andrew Johnson - The Independent
Published: 07 October 2007
One of Britain's leading universities is embroiled in an embarrassing row over hundreds of treasures looted from Iraq. Found scattered around ancient Mesopotamia, the Aramaic incantation or devil bowls were placed upside down in homes during the sixth to eighth centuries to trap evil spirits. The spells, and information such as the names of the home owners, are not found in any other source. One collection contains the earliest examples of the Bible in Hebrew. Another collection is at the centre of a legal row that has divided Britain's academic community.

The Research:
Read more about this story in Science.

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