Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com
Posted in:
Culture & Society
Written By: Khalid al-Syaghi
Article Date: Apr 19, 2008 - 2:11:35 AM
Incidents of relic trafficking still obsess the minds of those participating in the business. With feelings of nervousness about the involvement of governmental institutions, their greedy nature compels them to sacrifice our country’s interests for a lump sum.
We are, however, still unaware of the downside to trafficking Yemeni relics abroad.
Since the 1994 war, the trafficking of Yemeni relics has increased. Oftentimes, internationally organized gangs with professional smugglers reach these archaeological sites before relevant authorities. This happened last week when, in a defiant step to the security authorities, a gang forced their way into a site and managed to loot 50 Himirite gold pieces.
There are still worries over the organized looting by gangs due to the huge amounts of money being offered by trafficker in order to loot the number of Himirite treasures that are buried under this ancient civilization. There have been reports of overnight digging for these ancestral treasures, left by grand fathers to be trifled by grandsons.
Mohammed al-Nomani wrote in article entitled Yemen, man and relics: “The General archeological authority announced that relics’ traffickers destroyed and stole the stones of an important archeological site. The official added that the Yemeni relic trafficking is practiced by selling them internally to some Arab and Yemeni traders and internationally through a network in which Yemenis are involved.
“The national museum in Aden managed to recover an old piece dating back to the Qatabani state 12 years after it was sold in the US. The piece was smuggled during the civil war in 1994.
“ The problem is becoming aggravated by the lapse of time because no one seems to bother.
Who is to blame for this plight? Is it the foreign smugglers, the foreign gangs or the lack of raising the awareness of those who ignore the value of their own identity?
We are waiting for answers from the general archeological authority, customs, the Ministry of Culture and the relevant bodies responsible for sound awareness. Do we need to import conscientious minds as it is the case with the other commodities?
