From e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no Mon Jun  5 21:17:33 1995
Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 16:04:09 +0200
From: Elie Wardini <e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no>
To: Elie Wardini <e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no>
Subject: Archeology in Beirut - An article

This is a quicj translation of an Article published in February in the
Beirut daily al-Nahar

Elie Wardini



*****************
Qabbani repeats to the Minister that he should provide a specialst".

From the Beirut daily, al-Nahar (translated "quickly" from Arabic), Feb.
25th, 1995, p18.

Another wall is destroyed in the Saifi region, a wall among the valuable
archeological remains... and no one is responsible

Only en days is the period that seperates the earlier "mistake" from the
later "mistake". After the incident of knocking the ancient wall and
breaking its corner in the south eastern part of the Martyr's square, the
incident was repeated two days ago with the destruction of a wall in the
Saifi region, and he the same persopn who winessed the destruction of of a
wall wich the archeologists believe is from the early or middle bronze age.

From the sea of information about the incident, we can present the
following resume: at two thirty Thursday afternoon, Dr. Naji Karam, who is
supervising the archeological digs in this site, left indicating to the
engineer and the workers the region where they can continue digging with
bulldozers, after having marked the site with stones. He asked them not to
come close to the ancient wall, which was discovered a few days, until the
next morning (i.e. yesterday on Friday). The representatives of UNESCO to
the Directorate of Antiquities, Ibrahim Qawatli and Philippe Marquis also
asked, the first one ion the morning and the latter in the afternoon, the
engineer and the construction workers to stop because of the descovery of
the anceint wall. This was in accordance to the law and the agreement on
coordination that has been arrived at between the different parties. The
engineer aswered as many times before: "we do not stop the work without a
written order from SOLIDERE or the construction firm because we have a
contract with them." When Dr. Karam arrived Friday morning at 7:40, the
wall had been destroyed. The wall was 6 meters wide and nearly two meters
high, and studies were supposed to decide its date and historical
significance.

As usal, everybody evaded responsibility and everybody accused the others:
the entrepreneur needs a written statement to stop working and accusing the
archeologists for the delay in getting it, the construction firm and
SOLIDERE assures that they wanted to get the document ready by Friday
afternoon, the Directorate of Antiquities through its representative says
that it directed an oral request that the work be stoped immediately until
the issue was solved.

The result is that one more mistake that can not be corrected. The
responsibility for coordination and agreement is has vanished. No is aws
yet held responsible. That which is lost is lost!!

Qabbani - Edde
The PM of Beirut, Muhammad Qabbani, after inspoected the site directed a
letter to the Minister of Culture and Higher Education, Michel Edde,
repeating that the general inspector of archeology be present in the field
and that he be given full power to deal with the issues at hand. The
following is the lext of the letter:
"Based on an urgent message from Dr. Naji Karam (24th Feb.), the head of
the archeological team of the Lebanese University in the Saifi region, I
inspected the site in which he is working and where he reported that the
bulldozers of the entrepreneur had removed a stone wall that was cut in the
shape of a corner. As he was about to leav, he had asked the entrepreneur
yesterday afternoon (14:00) to avopid digging in this region untill the the
wall was inspected. The coordinator of the archeological digs, the
specialist Philippe Marquis also asked the entrepreneur to stop working.
Yet he was surpirsed this morning to see that the wall was removed because
the representative of the entrepreneur demanded a written order before he
can stop.

We had several meetings with Dr. Karam and the representatives of SOLIDERE,
Jacques Brifort(sp.?) and Francois Chartier and the inspector
respresentatiing the construction firm, eng. Joseph Akkawi and the
entrepreneur Milad Mouawad and his engineer Robert Raad.

They disagreed on the importance of the wall, especially after it was
removed [sic!!!!]. Yet the representatives of SOLIDERE said that, according
to the agreement, it was the responsibility of the entrepreneur to stop
digging as soon as archeological finds are made, without waiting for a
written order. The inspector from the construction firm indicated that he
had asked the entrepreneur to stop  untill 12 o'clock today untill he gets
a written order. But the entrepreneur assures that he needs a written order
from any, big or small responsible, that defines where and when to stop. He
had also earlier stop´ped working after getting oral orders waiting to get
written orders.

I would like to assume good intent and motives from all parties concerned
and a desire to preserve the archeological finds. Yet these facts show that
there is a clear lack in coordination and the mechanics of supervising the
digs. It is important to correct the mistakes and to stop such mistakes in
eth fiture.

I repeat insistingly our earlier requests which we directed to you months
ago and what the archeological exprets have asked for, it is that the
general inspector and responsible for archeological digs be present in
Center Beirut where the digs are proceeding. He should be there as long as
work in being done and he shold be qualified and given the power to act. An
administration can not work from its offices in a ministry or through a
coordinator in the field who has no administrative power. It will also be
helpfull if the scientific leader (head of the archeological team) in each
region is given the power to temporarily stop the digging when it is
necessary, even if it is for a few hours untill the general coordinator
comes to decide on the issue."