Archaeology awareness playing cards
Encyclopedia
The archaeology awareness playing cards are a set of playing cards developed by the United States Department of Defense
designed to educate members of the United States military that are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan
about the importance of respecting ancient monuments, in order to try and preserve the Iraqi and Afghan national cultural heritage
. It had come to light by mid-2004, that U.S. forces were destroying ancient monuments either through negligent actions, or by mistake - having not realised what they were. The goal of the publication of the cards was two-fold according to Fort Drum archaeologist Laurie Rush - to prevent unnecessary damage to ancient sites and to stem the illegal trade of artifacts in Iraq. The military has long recognized that educational playing cards are a good way to capitalize on the time soldiers spend waiting for orders.
They were devised following the success of the most-wanted Iraqi playing cards
(officially called "personality identification playing cards") that were used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq
to help members of the U.S. military identify wanted personnel from the Baathist regime. Approximately 40,000 sets of the cards were issued to U.S. forces. In the archaeology deck, each suit has a theme: diamonds for artifacts, spades for digs, hearts for "winning hearts and minds," and clubs for heritage preservation.
However the efforts to reduce damage and looting came after enormous damage was already inflicted upon Iraq and Afghanistan's cultural heritage, archaeological and historical sites, and even museums.
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
designed to educate members of the United States military that are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
about the importance of respecting ancient monuments, in order to try and preserve the Iraqi and Afghan national cultural heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
. It had come to light by mid-2004, that U.S. forces were destroying ancient monuments either through negligent actions, or by mistake - having not realised what they were. The goal of the publication of the cards was two-fold according to Fort Drum archaeologist Laurie Rush - to prevent unnecessary damage to ancient sites and to stem the illegal trade of artifacts in Iraq. The military has long recognized that educational playing cards are a good way to capitalize on the time soldiers spend waiting for orders.
They were devised following the success of the most-wanted Iraqi playing cards
Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards
In the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition, the U.S. military developed a set of playing cards to help troops identify the most-wanted members of President Saddam Hussein's government, mostly high-ranking Baath Party members or members of the Revolutionary Command Council...
(officially called "personality identification playing cards") that were used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
to help members of the U.S. military identify wanted personnel from the Baathist regime. Approximately 40,000 sets of the cards were issued to U.S. forces. In the archaeology deck, each suit has a theme: diamonds for artifacts, spades for digs, hearts for "winning hearts and minds," and clubs for heritage preservation.
However the efforts to reduce damage and looting came after enormous damage was already inflicted upon Iraq and Afghanistan's cultural heritage, archaeological and historical sites, and even museums.
Spades
- Ace ♠: "Ancient walls of mud brick are easily damaged."
- King ♠: "Many DoD sites in the US have protected archaeological sites. Learn more about your home installation." Lewisburg FurnaceFort DrumFort Drum is a United States Army base in New York near the Canadian border.Fort Drum may also refer to:*Fort Drum, Florida, a nearly-uninhabited town in the United States*Fort Drum , Philippines...
, Fort Drum, New York, United States of AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - Queen ♠: "Use a monitor when digging in archaeologically sensitive areas."
- Jack ♠: "Stop digging if you find artifacts or features."
- Ten ♠: "Heavy excavation equipment can do great harm to archaeological sites. Be aware and prepare to stop."
- Nine ♠: "Helicopter rotor wash can damage archaeological sites. Avoid where possible."
- Eight ♠: "Every DoD installation has a cultural resources manager. Call yours with questions about archaeology, history, or culture."
- Seven ♠: "Taking pictures is good. Removing artifacts for souvenirs is not!"
- Six ♠: "Use your camera to document archaeological and historic sites."
- Five ♠: "A looted archaeological site means that details of our common past are lost forever."
- Four ♠: "If possible, fill sandbags with clean earth, free of man-made objects."
- Three ♠: "Leave artifacts like broken pottery or inscribed bricks in place."
- Two ♠: "In the dry climate of the Middle East, a wall of mud brick could be thousands of years old." Qalai Bost, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Clubs
- Ace ♣: "The DoD needs your help in protecting heritage resources."
- King ♣: "Remember this international symbol for a PROTECTED CULTURAL SITE."
- Queen ♣: "Remember! The buying and selling of antiquities is not condoned by the U.S. Armed Forces."
- Jack ♣: "Ancient cultural artifacts and objects of art are also heritage resources that must be protected."
- Ten ♣: "A mound or small hill in an otherwise flat landscape could be a sign of ancient human occupation." Tell RimahRimahRamah one of the governorates of the Emirate of Riyadh,located in the west of Riyadh and the area is 15900 km 2.- References :http://www.riyadh.gov.sa/RiyadhPlaceProvinces.asp?Prov=15...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - Nine ♣: "Future generations will be thankful for the monuments and sites spared today." Bent MinaretMosques and shrines of MosulThis article concerns the mosques and shrines of Mosul, Iraq.-The Umayyad Mosque:The first ever in the city, built in 640 AD by Utba bin Farqad Al-Salami after he freed Mosul in the reign of Caliph umar ibn Al-Khattab...
, Mosul's Great MosqueMosques and shrines of MosulThis article concerns the mosques and shrines of Mosul, Iraq.-The Umayyad Mosque:The first ever in the city, built in 640 AD by Utba bin Farqad Al-Salami after he freed Mosul in the reign of Caliph umar ibn Al-Khattab...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - Eight ♣: "Stop digging immediately you find buried walls, broken pottery, or other artifacts. Report what you find!" Ancient walls near Great Ziggurat of UrGreat Ziggurat of UrThe Ziggurat of Ur is a Neo-Sumerian ziggurat in what was the city of Ur near Nasiriyah, in present-day Dhi Qar Province, Iraq...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - Seven ♣: "This site has survived for seventeen centuries. Will it survive you?". Ctesiphon ArchCtesiphonCtesiphon, the imperial capital of the Parthian Arsacids and of the Persian Sassanids, was one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia.The ruins of the city are located on the east bank of the Tigris, across the river from the Hellenistic city of Seleucia...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - Six ♣: "Respect ruins wherever possible. They protect you and your cultural history." Samarra MinaretGreat Mosque of SamarraThe Great Mosque of Samarra is a 9th century mosque located in Samarra, Iraq. The mosque was commissioned in 848 and completed in 851 by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil who reigned from 847 until 861....
(Malwiya), IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - Five ♣: "Drive around - not over - archaeological sites".
- Four ♣: "Look before you dig!"
- Three ♣: "No graffitiGraffitiGraffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
! Defacing walls or ruins with spray paintSpray paintingSpray painting is a painting technique where a device sprays a coating through the air onto a surface. The most common types employ compressed gas—usually air—to atomize and direct the paint particles. Spray guns evolved from airbrushes, and the two are usually distinguished by their size and the...
or other materials is disrespectful and counterproductive to the mission" - Two ♣: "Ancient Iraqi heritage is part of your heritage. Old stories say that JonahJonahJonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
of the bible was buried in this hill." (Naba Yunis MosqueMosques and shrines of MosulThis article concerns the mosques and shrines of Mosul, Iraq.-The Umayyad Mosque:The first ever in the city, built in 640 AD by Utba bin Farqad Al-Salami after he freed Mosul in the reign of Caliph umar ibn Al-Khattab...
in MosulMosulMosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
)
Hearts
- Ace ♥: "The main goal of archaeology is to understand the past - your past."
- King ♥: "If it's a defensible position today, it may have been for thousands of years. Watch for archaeological remains."
- Queen ♥: "Archaeological sites matter to the local community. Showing respect wins hearts and minds."
- Jack ♥: "Local elders may be a good source of information about cultural heritage and archaeology."
- Ten ♥: "Religious monuments, such as the Bamian BuddhasBuddhas of BamyanThe Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2,500 meters...
in Afghanistan, are often targets for intentional destruction during times of conflict." Buddhas of BamyanBuddhas of BamyanThe Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2,500 meters...
, Bamiyan ProvinceBamiyan ProvinceBamyan Province is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the centre of the country. Its capital is also called Bamyan. The majority of the population are Hazaras, with 16% Sadat, 15% Tajiks, and Pashtuns and Tatars in smaller numbers...
, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. - Nine ♥: "The Bible'sBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Tower of BabelTower of BabelThe Tower of Babel , according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar .According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where...
referred to an Iraqi ZigguratZigguratZiggurats were massive structures built in the ancient Mesopotamian valley and western Iranian plateau, having the form of a terraced step pyramid of successively receding stories or levels.Notable ziggurats include the Great Ziggurat of Ur near Nasiriyah, Iraq; the Ziggurat of Aqar Quf near...
." Great Ziggurat of UrGreat Ziggurat of UrThe Ziggurat of Ur is a Neo-Sumerian ziggurat in what was the city of Ur near Nasiriyah, in present-day Dhi Qar Province, Iraq...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - Eight ♥: "Iraq's civilisation originated in the Fertile CrescentFertile CrescentThe Fertile Crescent, nicknamed "The Cradle of Civilization" for the fact the first civilizations started there, is a crescent-shaped region containing the comparatively moist and fertile land of otherwise arid and semi-arid Western Asia. The term was first used by University of Chicago...
between the TigrisTigrisThe Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
and EuphratesEuphratesThe Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
Rivers. Humans first created agricultural settlements here over 8,000 years ago." - Seven ♥: "Iraq has been described as the "Cradle of Civilisation." Illustration of the Northwest Palace Throne Room at NimrudNimrudNimrud is an ancient Assyrian city located south of Nineveh on the river Tigris in modern Ninawa Governorate Iraq. In ancient times the city was called Kalḫu. The Arabs called the city Nimrud after the Biblical Nimrod, a legendary hunting hero .The city covered an area of around . Ruins of the city...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - Six ♥: The world's oldest complete legal code was found in Iraq on a stone carved with an image of HammurabiHammurabiHammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian from Amorite ʻAmmurāpi, "the kinsman is a healer", from ʻAmmu, "paternal kinsman", and Rāpi, "healer"; (died c...
, King of Babylon, ca. 1760 B.C." - Five ♥: "Protecting archaeological sites helps preserve them for future generations."
- Four ♥: "Protecting art and archaeology is the responsibility of all ranks within a unit."
- Three ♥: "To understand the meaning of an artifact, it must be found and studied in its original setting." Hoard of Sumerian statues, Tell Asmar, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - Two ♥: "Ninety-nine percent of mankind's history can only be understood through archaeology". Ancient ruins at SamarraSamarraSāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Diamonds
- Ace ♦: "Buying looted artifacts is forbidden. These objects will be confiscated if discovered."
- King ♦: "Buddhist statuary from Hadda in AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
has been heavily looted for sale on the illegal market." - Queen ♦: "Monumental art, such as the Bamian BuddhasBuddhas of BamyanThe Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2,500 meters...
in Afghanistan, should be preserved in place for all humankind." Buddhas of BamyanBuddhas of BamyanThe Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2,500 meters...
, Bamiyan ProvinceBamiyan ProvinceBamyan Province is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the centre of the country. Its capital is also called Bamyan. The majority of the population are Hazaras, with 16% Sadat, 15% Tajiks, and Pashtuns and Tatars in smaller numbers...
, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. - Jack ♦: "How would you feel if someone stole her torch?" Statue of LibertyStatue of LibertyThe Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States of America. - Ten ♦: "MesopotamiaMesopotamiaMesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
is considered the birthplace of writingWritingWriting is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
. Clay tabletClay tabletIn the Ancient Near East, clay tablets were used as a writing medium, especially for writing in cuneiform, throughout the Bronze Age and well into the Iron Age....
s such as this one are primary evidence." Ancient cuneiformCuneiform scriptCuneiform script )) is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Emerging in Sumer around the 30th century BC, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium , cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs...
tablet from NippurNippurNippur was one of the most ancient of all the Sumerian cities. It was the special seat of the worship of the Sumerian god Enlil, the "Lord Wind," ruler of the cosmos subject to An alone...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - Nine ♦: "The Joint Interagency Task Force recovered more than 5,000 artifacts, including this one stolen from the Iraq Museum." Mask of Warka.
- Eight ♦: "The Joint Interagency Task Force recovered 62,000 artifacts removed from the Iraq MuseumNational Museum of IraqThe National Museum of Iraq is a museum located in Baghdad, Iraq. It contains precious relics from Mesopotamian civilization.-Foundation:...
in the years, months, and weeks before the war." - Seven ♦: "Museums are also victims of warfare and need protection where possible." Kabul MuseumKabul MuseumThe National Museum of Afghanistan , also known as the Afghan National Museum or the Kabul Museum, is a two-story building located 9 km southwest of the center of Kabul City in Afghanistan. It was built in 1922 during the reign of King Amanullah Khan...
, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. - Six ♦: "Thousands of artifacts are disappearing from Iraq and Afghanistan. Report suspicious behaviour."
- Five ♦: "Looters leave destructive holes and tunnels throughout archaeological sites. Report all observed war damage and looting."
- Four ♦: "Report to your OIC any observed looting activity or attempts to sell or purchase ancient artifacts."
- Three ♦: "Purchasing ancient "souvenirs" helps fund insurgentInsurgencyAn insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
s. Do not buy them!" - Two ♦: "Cylinder seals look like carved pieces of chalk. As with other artifacts, do not buy them!" cylinder seals
Other
The set also contained other cards such as the jokers that provided additional information about heritage preservation.Award
On November 7, 2007, the DoD program, entitled “In-Theater Heritage Training for Deploying Personnel”, was awarded the "Chairman's Award" from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, an independent federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement, and productive use of our nation’s historic resources, and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy.External links
- The archaeology awareness playing cards can be viewed in pdf format at http://www.acq.osd.mil/ie/images/08-09-07cardsuitspuzzlessm.pdf