Donny George Youkhanna
Encyclopedia
Donny George Youkhanna (October 23, 1950 – March 11, 2011) was an Iraq
i Assyrian
archaeologist
, anthropologist
, author, curator
, and scholar, and a visiting professor at Stony Brook University in New York, internationally known as "the man who saved the Iraqi National Museum
."
, Iraq
in 1950 to Assyrian
parents from northern Iraq. He moved with his family to Baghdad
during his childhood, where he gained his education. He gained a BA
, MA
, and PhD
in prehistoric archaeology
at the University of Baghdad
. He was fluent in Aramaic
, Arabic
, and English
.
Youkhanna was the Director General of Iraq’s National Museum, Chairman of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage and the President of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. He conducted excavations in the Bekhme Dam
area, Nineveh, and Tell Umm al-Aqarib as well as working on many restoration projects in Babylon
, Nimrud
, Nineveh
, Ur
and Baghdad
. He authored two books on the structural design and stone industries of Tell es Sawwan
, and gave several presentations on the current museum conditions and historical archaeological sites of Iraq
.
Dr. George, who dropped his last name for professional purposes, was instrumental in recovering over half of the 15,000 Mesopotamian artifacts looted from the National Museum in Baghdad during the invasion. A majority of the artefacts date back to 6,000 years from the ancient empires of Assyria
and Babylonia
. He fought his way through to the Iraq National Museum in the days after the American-led invasion of Iraq
and tried to stop the looters ransacking it but was unable to persuade American soldiers to protect it because they had been given no orders to do so.
He became the international face of the plight of ancient sites and artefacts in Iraq, many of which were stolen or destroyed during the invasion. In December 2008, Youkhanna was decisive in preventing the sale of royal Neo-Assyrian earrings from the world famous Nimrud
treasures at Christie's
art auction in New York.
Due to threats from unknown militia groups during the US occupation of Iraq, Youkhanna was forced to flee Iraq with his family to the United States in 2006. Later that year he was appointed as visiting professor at Stony Brook University in New York.
He died on 11 March 2011 as a result of a heart attack while he was travelling via Toronto Pearson International Airport
, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was 60.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Assyrian
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
archaeologist
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, anthropologist
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, author, curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
, and scholar, and a visiting professor at Stony Brook University in New York, internationally known as "the man who saved the Iraqi National Museum
National Museum of Iraq
The National Museum of Iraq is a museum located in Baghdad, Iraq. It contains precious relics from Mesopotamian civilization.-Foundation:...
."
Biography
Youkhanna was born in HabbaniyahHabbaniyah
Al Habbaniyah or Habbaniya is a city in Al-Anbar Province, in central Iraq.-References:...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in 1950 to Assyrian
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
parents from northern Iraq. He moved with his family to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
during his childhood, where he gained his education. He gained a BA
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, and PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in prehistoric archaeology
Prehistoric archaeology
History is the study of the past using written records. Archaeology can also be used to study the past alongside history. Prehistoric archaeology is the study of the past before historical records began....
at the University of Baghdad
University of Baghdad
The University of Baghdad is the largest university in Iraq and the second largest Arab university following the University of Cairo.- Nomenclature :Both University of Baghdad and Baghdad University are used interchangeably....
. He was fluent in Aramaic
Neo-Aramaic languages
Neo-Aramaic, or Modern Aramaic, languages are varieties of Aramaic that are spoken vernaculars in the medieval to modern era, evolving out of Middle Aramaic dialects around AD 1200 ....
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Youkhanna was the Director General of Iraq’s National Museum, Chairman of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage and the President of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. He conducted excavations in the Bekhme Dam
Bekhme Dam
The Bekhme Dam is an unfinished multi-purpose rock-fill dam on the Great Zab northeast of Arbil, Iraq. The main purpose of the dam is to produce 1500 MW of hydro-electricity in addition to managing floods. If completed, the high Bekhme Dam will be the largest in Iraq...
area, Nineveh, and Tell Umm al-Aqarib as well as working on many restoration projects in Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
, Nimrud
Nimrud
Nimrud is an ancient Assyrian city located south of Nineveh on the river Tigris in modern Ninawa Governorate Iraq. In ancient times the city was called Kalḫu. The Arabs called the city Nimrud after the Biblical Nimrod, a legendary hunting hero .The city covered an area of around . Ruins of the city...
, Nineveh
Nineveh
Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq....
, Ur
Ur
Ur was an important city-state in ancient Sumer located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate...
and Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. He authored two books on the structural design and stone industries of Tell es Sawwan
Tell es Sawwan
Tell es-Sawwan was a city in ancient Mesopotamia 110 kilometers north of Baghdad, and south of Samarra.-History:The site is a primarily Ubaid, Hassuna, and Samarran culture occupation with some later Babylonian graves...
, and gave several presentations on the current museum conditions and historical archaeological sites of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Dr. George, who dropped his last name for professional purposes, was instrumental in recovering over half of the 15,000 Mesopotamian artifacts looted from the National Museum in Baghdad during the invasion. A majority of the artefacts date back to 6,000 years from the ancient empires of Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
and Babylonia
Babylonia
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
. He fought his way through to the Iraq National Museum in the days after the American-led invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
and tried to stop the looters ransacking it but was unable to persuade American soldiers to protect it because they had been given no orders to do so.
He became the international face of the plight of ancient sites and artefacts in Iraq, many of which were stolen or destroyed during the invasion. In December 2008, Youkhanna was decisive in preventing the sale of royal Neo-Assyrian earrings from the world famous Nimrud
Nimrud
Nimrud is an ancient Assyrian city located south of Nineveh on the river Tigris in modern Ninawa Governorate Iraq. In ancient times the city was called Kalḫu. The Arabs called the city Nimrud after the Biblical Nimrod, a legendary hunting hero .The city covered an area of around . Ruins of the city...
treasures at Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
art auction in New York.
Due to threats from unknown militia groups during the US occupation of Iraq, Youkhanna was forced to flee Iraq with his family to the United States in 2006. Later that year he was appointed as visiting professor at Stony Brook University in New York.
He died on 11 March 2011 as a result of a heart attack while he was travelling via Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was 60.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology, University of BaghdadUniversity of BaghdadThe University of Baghdad is the largest university in Iraq and the second largest Arab university following the University of Cairo.- Nomenclature :Both University of Baghdad and Baghdad University are used interchangeably....
, 1974 - Master of Arts in Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Baghdad, 1986
- Ph.D. in Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Baghdad, 1995
Career
- Member Staff in the Iraqi National MuseumNational Museum of IraqThe National Museum of Iraq is a museum located in Baghdad, Iraq. It contains precious relics from Mesopotamian civilization.-Foundation:...
, 1976 - Director of Documentation Center, 1980
- Field Director for the Restoration Project in Babylon, 1986-87
- Archaeological Investigation in the Eastern Wall of Nineveh, 1988
- Scientific Super Advisor for Bakhma Dam Archaeological Recue Project, 1989
- Director of Relations, 1990
- Director of Documentation Center, 1992
- Assistant Director General of Antiquities for Technical Affairs, 1995
- Professor in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Baghdad
- Professor in the Department of Archaeology at the Babylon College for Theology and Philosophy
- Director of Excavation Team in the site of Umm al-Aqarib, 1999-2000
- Head of the Technical Committee, 1999-2000
- Director General of Research and Studies, 2000-03
- Director General of the Iraqi Museums, 2003-05
- Member of the International Regional Committee of Interpol, 2003
- Member of the Iraqi National Committee for Education, Science, and Culture, Iraqi UNESCO, 2004
- Chairman of the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, 2005-06
- Member of the Iraqi Science Academy, Department of the Syriac Language, 2005
- Board of Advisors, Assyrian Academic SocietyAssyrian Academic SocietyThe Assyrian Academic Society or AAS was established in 1983 in Chicago, Illinois, where there is a large Assyrian diaspora community. As stated in the preamble, the Assyrian Academic Society promotes Assyrian culture, history, and knowledge through a variety of activities including publications,...
Authored
- Co-Author of Photography: The Graves of the Assyrian Queens in Nimrud, 2000
- Co-Author of Pots and Pans
- Co-Author of The Looting of the Iraq Museum, 2005
- Co-Author of The Destruction of the Cultural Heritage in Iraq, 2008
- Co-Author of Antiquities under Siege, Cultural Heritage in Iraq, 2008
- Co-Author of Catastrophe, The Looting and Destructions of Iraq's Past, 2008
- Author of Architecture of the Sixth Millennium B.C. in Tell Es-Sawwan
- Author of The Stone Industries in Tell Es-Sawwan, 'Book in Process'
Publications
- Stores in Ancient Mesopotamia, 1985.
- A New Acheulian hand Axe from the Iraqi Western Desert in the Iraq Museum, 1993
- Proverbs in Ancient Mesopotamia, 1994
- The Architecture of the Sixth Millennium BC in Tell Esswwan, 1997
- Precision Craftsmanship of the Nimrud Gold Material, 2002
- Full Account on the Iraqi Museums and Archaeological sites, 2004
Conferences
- Recontre Assyriologic, Heidelberg, Germany, 1992
- Recontre Assyriologic, London, UK, 2004
- International Conference on the Excavations at the Ancient city of Nimrud, London, 2004
- International Conference for the Protection of the Iraqi Antiquities, Istanbul, Turkey, 2004
- Interpol International Regional Conference for the Protection of the Iraq Antiquities, Amman, Jordan. 2004
- International Council of Museums ICOM Conference, Seoul, South Korea, 2004
- Archaeological Institute of America, Boston, USA, 2004
- International Conference for the Protection of Iraqi Antiquities, Washington DC, USA, 2005
- Iraq Cultural Committee at UNESCO, Paris, France
- U.S. Institute of Peace, Washington DC, 2008
Lectures
- Belgium: Brussels National Museum
- Britain: University of London, the British Museum
- Denmark: National Museum in Copenhagen
- Germany: University of Berlin, Pergamum Museum, University of Heidelberg, University of Frankfurt, University of Munich, Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz
- Jordan: Department of Antiquities, German Archaeological Institute in Amman
- Italy: University of Rome
- Japan: University of Kukushikan, Japanese Society for the Antiquities of the Middle East
- Spain: University Autónoma de Madrid
- Sweden: University of Gothenburg, Museum of World Culture, Museum of Mediterranean and the Middle East
- USA: University of Chicago, Harvard University, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Museums of Fine Art in Boston, Pennsylvania Museum, Iraqi Embassy in Washington DC, Yeshiva University, State University of Arizona, South Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, Bowers Museum of Art in Santa Ana, Denver Museum of Science and Nature, South Methodist University in Taos, New Mexico and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colorado, CSU Stanislaus, Turlock, Gustavus Adolphus College