Iraqi treasures lost to sandstorms - 5th May 2023

Iraq's millenia-old archaeological marvels are now being ravaged by sandstorms, a knock-on effect of climate change. Home to examples of the world's first civilisations of Mesopotamia, priceless artefacts derived from Sumerian and Babylonian societies - once painstakingly unearthed by experts - are now vanishing under the sand once again.

The Sumerian site of Umm al-Aqarib suffered in the recent past from relentless looting, but these days, according to archaeologist Aqueel al-Mansrawi, it's severe drought and the lack of cultivation which is having devastating repercussions.

Aqeel al-Mansrawi: "The recent climate changes greatly affected this site, so we see that quicksand began to cover this site. Large parts of this site were covered by quicksand as a result of drought and lack of cultivation in surrounding areas."

The UN has declared Iraq to be one of the five countries worst beset by climate change. With the mercury rising to above 50 degrees Celsius during summer, parched agricultural areas have forced farmers away. A scarcity of plants has resulted in an unstable, dusty terrain and what water there is, rapidly evaporates to leave a crust of salt traces. These are then blasted by sandstorms onto the ancient ruins, which in turn have a corrosive chemical effect.

Despite a $3.8 million proposal to encircle the fragile site with trees to counteract the force of the sandstorms and stem the erosion, Mansrawi considers it a losing battle.

Aqeel al-Mansrawi: "With this massive increase of quicksand in this area, it will probably cover in the next 10 years, 80 to 90% of these sites. Even in the future, if excavation missions want to work in those sites, additional efforts will be needed to reveal some ruins."

The vestiges of these bygone civilisations, some of which are more than 4,000 years old, are being voraciously reclaimed by the elements.