Italian Archaeologists Catalog Hatra Statues at Iraq Museum in Baghdad

A team of Italian archaeologists from the CAMNES (Centro Studi di Firenze) HaSSP Mission has completed a two-week emergency mission at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, cataloging statues from the ancient city of Hatra that were damaged by ISIS/Daesh in 2015 at the Mosul Museum. The mission, led by Roberta Ricciardi Venco, Enrico Foietta (University of Turin), and Ilaria Bucci (Birkbeck College), was cut short due to instability following the killing of Soleimani, rocket attacks on the US embassy, and troop movements. They produced 107 object records, primarily heads, with new photographic documentation and 3D models. The team also reassembled heads and bodies of priest statues from a minor temple, and identified recompositions of a Tyche and an Allat (Arab deity with Minerva features). The ultimate goal is a complete catalog of all artifacts in the museum and its storerooms, and possible reinstallation of the Hatra galleries. Hatra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, suffered destruction similar to Palmyra, Nineveh, Dura-Europos, and Mari. The project aims to preserve memory and prevent future losses.