McGuire Gibson
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McGuire Gibson
Professor in the Oriental Institute and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations

Areas of Expertise:

  • Archaeology: Middle East, Mesopotamia
  • International affairs: protection of archaeological sites
  • Humanities
Media Contact:
William Harms
(773) 702-8356
w-harms@uchicago.edu

Background:


McGuire Gibson is one of the world's leading authorities on ancient Mesopotamia. He has done fieldwork in Iraq and elsewhere in the region and has published extensively. He was as part of a National Geographic delegation visiting Iraq to inspect archaeological sites in 2003. He also has provided expert advice to UNESCO and other cultural and scholarly organizations working to preserve the archaeological heritage of Iraq. His fieldwork has taken him to Nippur, the religious center of ancient Mesopotamia. Additionally, he has done fieldwork in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and northeastern Syria. In 1992, he and colleague Augusta McMahon published Lost Heritage: Antiquities Stolen from Iraq's Regional Museums, the first academic publication to call attention to the problem of looting after the first Gulf War. He also is the author and co-author of numerous articles and books on ancient Mesopotamia.

News clippings:
Loot! Chicago at center of battle between archeologists, collectors
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
November 9, 2008

Record of destruction
AL-AHRAM
September 18, 2008

The Smash of Civilizations
MOTHER JONES
August 25, 2008

Looting of Iraq sites destroys history, distresses scholars
USA TODAY
August 12, 2008

Artistic casualties of the Iraq war
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
April 11, 2008

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Press releases:

Oriental Institute Exhibition, Conferences, Mark Fifth Anniversary of looting of the Iraq National Museum
April 5, 2008

Conference at University of Chicago on Looting Iraq's Heritage
February 2, 2006

N.E.H. project connects Chicago and Baghdad museum collections
November 29, 2004

Oriental Institute continues to support search for missing Iraqi artifacts a year after looting
April 8, 2004

Hi-Resolution Hamoukar Images
June 20, 2002

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Chronicle articles:
Accolades
December 11, 2008

Chicago in the News
November 20, 2008

O.I. marks 5-year-old ‘catastrophe’ at Baghdad museum: Illicit trade in antiquities promote
April 3, 2008

Scholars to explore protocol for defending cultural heritage
February 2, 2006

Archaeologists review loss of valuable artifacts one year after looting
April 15, 2004

Additional materials:
Website

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