Letters Reveal Forgotten Role of Baghdad Antiquities Dealers

Newly discovered letters reveal that local Iraqi antiquities dealers and excavators played a crucial role in uncovering artifacts from the ancient city of Kish between 1880 and 1912. While major museums in London, Paris, and New York acquired fresh tablets from the site, the contributions of these local individuals were largely overshadowed by official archaeological narratives.

This historical oversight highlights a broader pattern in colonial-era archaeology where local populations were erased from their own heritage. The newly unearthed correspondence aims to restore recognition to the Iraqi intermediaries who kept the study of ancient Mesopotamia alive during periods without official foreign expeditions.