Excavators damage archaeological sites in search of gold
SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region - Around twenty places have been excavated by unidentified people in order to find relics and precious minerals in Sulaimani’s Dukan district in the past four years.
Sarchawe cave in Qamchukha village is one of the six caves dug by unidentified individuals, and parts ofr their equipment can be seen inside. The excavations are sparking concern among locals of the area.
“It is unclear who these people are and what they are looking for. When an excavated area is found, the villagers report it to the local security, because they are very worried that the archaeological and tourist sites are being defaced,” Abbas Rasul, a resident of Qamchukha village, told Rudaw.
Despite the sale of gold detectors being prohibited in the Kurdistan Region, they can be purchased online for prices ranging from $250 to around $2,800. They are openly advertised on social media platforms.
The Kurdistan Region’s Law on Management and Protection of Archaeology and Heritage says that any individual who explores, surveys, excavates, or attempts to find archeological sites is punished with a prison sentence not exceeding three years, and any damages to the area require a compensation fee double the estimated value of the damage and for the damages to be repaired.
“In the past few months, around 40 to 50 violations on archaeological sites have been made in Sulaimani province. All of them have been submitted to the security forces and the judiciary, and necessary legal measures have been taken against the perpetrators, as some have been arrested,” said Nawshirwan Aziz, head of Sulaimani’s archeology and heritage department.
“There is a misunderstanding among some residents that there is gold and precious metals in some of the archaeological sites, but it is not true,” he added.
The directorate said that more than 1,000 archeological sites have been identified from around 5,000 sites in the city.
Sarchawe cave in Qamchukha village is one of the six caves dug by unidentified individuals, and parts ofr their equipment can be seen inside. The excavations are sparking concern among locals of the area.
“It is unclear who these people are and what they are looking for. When an excavated area is found, the villagers report it to the local security, because they are very worried that the archaeological and tourist sites are being defaced,” Abbas Rasul, a resident of Qamchukha village, told Rudaw.
Despite the sale of gold detectors being prohibited in the Kurdistan Region, they can be purchased online for prices ranging from $250 to around $2,800. They are openly advertised on social media platforms.
The Kurdistan Region’s Law on Management and Protection of Archaeology and Heritage says that any individual who explores, surveys, excavates, or attempts to find archeological sites is punished with a prison sentence not exceeding three years, and any damages to the area require a compensation fee double the estimated value of the damage and for the damages to be repaired.
“In the past few months, around 40 to 50 violations on archaeological sites have been made in Sulaimani province. All of them have been submitted to the security forces and the judiciary, and necessary legal measures have been taken against the perpetrators, as some have been arrested,” said Nawshirwan Aziz, head of Sulaimani’s archeology and heritage department.
“There is a misunderstanding among some residents that there is gold and precious metals in some of the archaeological sites, but it is not true,” he added.
The directorate said that more than 1,000 archeological sites have been identified from around 5,000 sites in the city.