Iraqi Archaeologists Arrested Amid Growing Concerns Over State Corruption

Two prominent Iraqi archaeologists were arrested this month, the Art Newspaper (TAN) reported. Many involved fear their arrests are retaliatory, spurred by public comments they made about corruption at the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH), which oversees the country’s archaeological sector.Archaeologist Ali Tabar was arrested on charges of extortion on September 17. He is one of the country’s leading drone surveyors who aerially documents sites before and after excavati