This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/apr/24/british-museum-displays-yemeni-artefact-to-highlight-civil-war

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
British Museum displays Yemeni artefact to highlight civil war British Museum displays Yemeni artefact to highlight civil war
(about 1 hour later)
The British Museum has acquired more glamorous objects than the image of a bearded man chipped out of a recycled block of calcite in Yemen 2,300 years ago – but it is going on display for the first time as a symbol of the threat to the heritage of the country where it was made.The British Museum has acquired more glamorous objects than the image of a bearded man chipped out of a recycled block of calcite in Yemen 2,300 years ago – but it is going on display for the first time as a symbol of the threat to the heritage of the country where it was made.
The British Museum and others around the world including the Louvre in Paris, the Hermitage in St Petersburg and the Metropolitan in New York are taking part in a Unesco-backed programme of exhibitions and events to highlight the destruction of thousands of years worth of archaeological and architectural sites in Yemen.The British Museum and others around the world including the Louvre in Paris, the Hermitage in St Petersburg and the Metropolitan in New York are taking part in a Unesco-backed programme of exhibitions and events to highlight the destruction of thousands of years worth of archaeological and architectural sites in Yemen.
A civil war has been ripping the country apart and, apart from the human misery, sites have been destroyed by the various factions and in Saudi airstrikes. A civil war has been ripping the country apart and, aside from the human misery, sites have been destroyed by the various factions and in Saudi airstrikes.
St John Simpson, a senior curator in the Middle East department of the British Museum, said the destruction included ancient castles and forts, temples and town walls, Sufi shrines, residential areas of the world heritage site of the city of Sana’a, and the national museum in Taez where the library and antiquities store were gutted.St John Simpson, a senior curator in the Middle East department of the British Museum, said the destruction included ancient castles and forts, temples and town walls, Sufi shrines, residential areas of the world heritage site of the city of Sana’a, and the national museum in Taez where the library and antiquities store were gutted.
“This is an under-reported conflict and one which is getting worse by all accounts. The destructive effect on museums, historic buildings and archaeological sites seems small in comparison with human suffering but is still a crime against humanity,” Simpson said.“This is an under-reported conflict and one which is getting worse by all accounts. The destructive effect on museums, historic buildings and archaeological sites seems small in comparison with human suffering but is still a crime against humanity,” Simpson said.
He said the international museum community had a moral duty to ensure it was not a forgotten war.He said the international museum community had a moral duty to ensure it was not a forgotten war.
Modern Yemen was part of the region described by classical authors as Felix Arabia, or Happy Arabia, rich through trade in gold, gems and coveted spices and resins including frankincense and myrrh.Modern Yemen was part of the region described by classical authors as Felix Arabia, or Happy Arabia, rich through trade in gold, gems and coveted spices and resins including frankincense and myrrh.
The British Museum’s little head, a stylised portrait of a man made from a highly polished piece of stone thriftily cut down from an older carving, probably originally came from the ancient cemetery at Heyd bin Aqil.The British Museum’s little head, a stylised portrait of a man made from a highly polished piece of stone thriftily cut down from an older carving, probably originally came from the ancient cemetery at Heyd bin Aqil.
The museum acquired it from a private owner, John Budd, whose soldier father brought it back from a tour with the British Army in Aden in 1966/7.The museum acquired it from a private owner, John Budd, whose soldier father brought it back from a tour with the British Army in Aden in 1966/7.