Yemen’s rich cultural heritage has captured the interests of many for centuries. From early on, writers, archaeologists, artists and historians have explored these lands in search of answers to life’s many mysteries. Major discoveries made in Yemen have given valuable clues to both prehistoric and early life and furthered our understanding of humanity. Many archaeologists believe that there is still much to be discovered in Yemen. However, the road to enlightenment is not an easy one. Yemen faces many obstacles which threaten to destroy the progress in preservation that has been made over time. These obstacles range from political and economic deterrents to temperamental weather changes, and increasingly, to a growing number of thefts of Yemeni artifacts.

Stealing Artifacts

Thousands of artifacts are reported to be smuggled out of Yemen each year. Depending on which way it is looked at, this makes Yemen either one of the most artifact-rich countries in the world, or one of the easiest for thieves to prey on. The truth is a combination of these two. It is a well known fact that there are a number of artifact-rich sites in Yemen. Two of the most famous areas being Mareb, the home of the ancient kingdom of Saba, and the Bayda-Bayhan area (an important battleground in ancient and modern times). Major projects in excavation and restoration are currently being undertaken at the Awwam Temple by the American Foundation for the Study of Man (AFSM) and at the Sirwah Temple by the German Archaeological Institute (DAI).

 However, Yemen is an easy target for smugglers because the incentives to steal artifacts far outweigh the risks of being caught. Artifacts command high prices both locally and internationally, which constitute a fortune to the average Yemeni who earns less than two dollars a day. In addition, many rich archaeological sites are home to ongoing inter-tribal fighting. This makes stricter control of accessibility to thieves more difficult and knowledge of the movement of smugglers poorer. Theft by individuals and organized groups are often assisted by people who are knowledgeable of the area.

 In recent years, Sana’a International Airport has been the site of a large number of foiled smuggling attempts. Local newspapers have reported the stories of Jordanian, Iraqi, Canadian, and French nationals trying to smuggle a range of artifacts including ancient manuscripts, statues, coins, bronze, and Himyarite gold out of the country. A lack of public knowledge, weak laws, poor documentation of artifacts, and the absence of Yemeni experts as well as security at archaeological sites have all been cited as reasons for this growing problem.

Few concrete solutions have been worked out but the fact that more and more of those who have the ability to implement change are aware of the dire situation is encouraging.

The Yemeni National Commission

The Yemeni National Commission (YNC) is a component of the Ministry of Education, and is the representative body of UNESCO in Yemen. Its work encompasses most ongoing projects related to education, science, and culture in Yemen.

Professor Mohamed Al Kadasi, a geologist, is Secretary-General of the YNC in addition to his position as Associate Professor of Geology of the Faculty of Science at Sana’a University. He is currently involved in projects promoting tourism to Yemen, preserving Yemeni (especially Sana’ani) songs, and training Yemenis on conservation. Al Kadasi says that the main achievements of the YNC to date are the establishment of Sana’a as the Capital of Arabic Culture in 2004 and keeping Zabid on the World Heritage List when it was threatened to be removed in early 2008. Future plans include hosting a conference on the smuggling of artifacts in early 2009 and developing a plan to build Yemen’s first science museum.

The General Organization of Antiquities and Museum

The General Organization of Antiquities and Museums (GOAM) is the main body responsible for the protection of Yemeni heritage interests. It is a constituent of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Based in Sana’a, its broad range of tasks includes creation and maintenance of museums in all governates, protection of historical and archaeological sites, and preservation of antiques and artifacts. The organization is headed by Dr. Abdallah Bawzir, a historian, who has been chairman since 2004.

Dr. Bawazir confirms that smuggling artifacts is a growing problem in Yemen but admits that he is unable to confirm just how many cases occur each year. With smugglers using land, sea, and air routes to get artifacts out of the country, it is possible that the amount of cases could be greatly underestimated, he says. Sana’a International Airport alone has over a thousand artifacts impounded per year.

Over the years, GOAM has put a number of measures in place to protect artifacts and combat theft. It issues excavation permits only to those who have pledged to protect the sites that they work on. In other words, archaeological organizations have to plan security measures such as fencing and guards. Expeditions are also obliged to preserve the architecture uncovered by excavations. It is mandatory that a GOAM representative be part of the onsite team. GOAM places much emphasis on co-operating with international organizations as it is important for funding and providing expertise and training Yemeni workers. GOAM also retrieves artifacts by buying them at a price that it determines. Although his offer is extended to the public, the incentive for smugglers is small compared to prices fetched at global markets.

According to Dr Bawazir, smuggling is fairly new to Yemen and can involve Yemenis and/or foreigners putting their own interests first. The smugglers are usually helped by locals in targeted areas who lack awareness and need money.

His organization has representatives stationed at Yemeni airports to look out for suspects. Any suspicious goods are confiscated and the offending person/s is subject to inquiry. There are currently many cases in court for investigation. Punishments include facing jail time and/or paying a fine. The most recent case was last week at Sana’a International Airport (1st week of November) involving a person working for a transport company who tried to smuggle old Islamic gold dinars out of the country. The person was seized and the case is currently under investigation. Another recent case of a lady trying to smuggle manuscripts out is also pending.

Dr Bawazir says that although the Archaeological Law of 1994 clearly states that a transfer of antiques between two parties require mutual consent and organization, it is the responsibility of not only government but other institutions and individuals to enforce the law. He believes that it is crucial to increase people’s awareness and educate them about the importance of artifacts and historical places. The main difficulties that GOAM is facing at the moment are the smuggling of artifacts and the lack of specialists to protect antiques and museums.

He says that a new law to protect Zabid and Hadhramaut is currently being discussed in parliament. Other exciting projects include the remodelling of the Museum of Traditional Arts and Crafts in Sana’a, which is hoped to re-open at the end of 2009.

An Archaeology Expert

Dr Christopher Edens is the director of the Sana’a office of the American Institute for Yemeni Studies (AIYS) and an archaeologist specializing in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly the late prehistoric and early historic periods. He defines artifacts as, ‘a thing, generally portable and whole or broken, made or modified by a human being, thus e.g. a pot shard, a piece of chipped stone, a bronze sword, a gold ring, an automobile are all artifacts.’

According to him, artifacts can be valued in two different ways. The first way is monetary, in which one would take into account ‘art’ (coins, jewellery, sculpture, ornate inscriptions, etc), condition, and rarity. Apparently, the material of the object is not that important and age of the artifact rarely so. The second way is scholarly, in which the artifacts give clues to the historical activities at that site and therefore, an idea of previous social behaviour.

For one to recognise a stolen or looted artifact, he says, one should look for an accession number of the museum or similar collection on the artifact. Sometimes the pieces have been published and can be recognised after some research. Provenance papers (in other parts of the world) provide the buyer with details of the artifact’s origin and ownership history. However, he says, provenance papers do not exist in Yemen.

As head of the AIYS in Sana’a for the last eight years, Dr Edens has considerable knowledge of current preservation work being done in Yemen. The AIYS’s scope of activities include facilitating the work of Yemeni, American, and other research scholars, as well as that of archaeological teams keen to work in Yemen. Some of their projects include the conservation of the Amriyyah Madrasah in Rada, the Sayoun Museum, and the Ishshah Mansion in Tarim.

The smuggling of artifacts, most of which are gained from historic sites, is of great concern to him. For an archaeologist, all scholarly value of the artifact is destroyed once it has been removed from its context and pretty much all of the research credibility of the site is lost once the area has been looted. Dr Edens has witnessed this in sites in the US. He tells that he has seen ‘prehistoric sites in the US so thoroughly looted (by individuals looking to add arrow heads to their collections) that they look like the down-range end of a testing ground for military artillery’.

Dr. Edens believes that there are two manners in which artifacts are being smuggled in Yemen. The first is done by a group involved in ‘opportunistic looting.’ These are people who happen to come across a historic site e.g. tomb, collect the loot and then sell them, usually within Yemen to tourists or local collectors. Sometimes the ‘finders’ are unaware of the value of the objects and Dr Edens says he has previously been approached by some inquiring this information from him. These amateurs are most likely to be caught by authorities.

The second manner is done by groups involved in ‘industrial looting.’ This looting is systematic and organized, and most common in Jawf, Mareb and Shabwah. The destinations for artifacts are usually overseas markets and authorities rarely catch those involved in these groups. Dr Edens recalls a massive Yemeni stone throne appearing on the antiquities market in Switzerland several years ago, but the actual extent of this problem is difficult to say.

Combating smuggling in Yemen

The promising news about this alarming situation is that a number of institutions have come on board to tackle this issue in Yemen. In addition to the aforementioned organizations, other agencies have launched both independent and co-operative campaigns to preserve and restore Yemen’s heritage.

Some companies have even done this as part of their social responsibility programs. One example is the Yemen LNG Company Ltd. They launched the LNG project in 2005 in a joint venture with the Yemeni government and boast it to be the ‘country’s largest-ever industrial investment at US 3.7 billion.’ Not only has the project promised a dramatic boost for the economy and multiple job opportunities for Yemenis, but it has also pledged its hand in preservation so that no heritage is destroyed in the name of its construction activities. The completion of the project would see a major gas pipeline run from Mareb block 18, through Darbas and Western Jawl, until Balhaf.

The Social Fund for Development also has extensive involvement in Yemen including a considerable amount of projects in 14 different components such as health, education, and cultural heritage. Some of the main cultural heritage projects include restoration of the Great Mosque of Sana’a, the Al-Asha’erah Mosque of Zabid, and the creation of databases enabling Yemeni museums to document artifacts on computer programs. It has also secured fencing around a number of sites in Ibb, namely Asibiyyah, Al Quton, Al Shahed and Shama Yahra ‘ash, as well as in Mareb at Sirwah.

Smuggling of artifacts in Yemen and worldwide remains an ugly elusive shadow threatening to eclipse the history of our humanity. This history is the grounds on which we base our society, identify our cultures, and compare ourselves. The opinions of Yemenis about traditions, artifacts and historical sites are strong. Most Yemenis speak passionately about their history and are able to have long, detailed conversations about their ancestry. But as human beings, though, opinions invariably do vary, such as in the some extreme case, at the end of October 2008, of a Yemeni entering the National Museum and trying to set the bronze statues of King Damar alay Yuhamir and his son Tharan on fire, claiming it was a form of idolatry.

It would be difficult to imagine the thoughts of a local serendipitously discovering a tomb packed with royal jewels (as was the case in Dhamar earlier this year). One would, however, understand the idea of the favouring of money (and therefore, food and clothes) over any kind of sentimental values toward the artifacts (albeit illegal).

Any kind of strategy, therefore, against the smuggling of artifacts in Yemen would incorporate a number of different aspects, at many different levels. These would have to include citizen participation, mass education, poverty reduction, conflict resolution and the cooperation of parties, both within Yemen and internationally.