Donny George Youkhanna

Doctor
Donny George
ܕܘܢܝ ܓܘܪܓ ܝܘܚܢܢ

Born (1950-10-23)October 23, 1950
Habbaniyah, Iraq
Died March 11, 2011(2011-03-11) (aged 60)
Toronto, Canada
Nationality Iraq Iraqi
Education University of Baghdad
Occupation Archaeologist, activist, author, professor, scholar
Years active 1976–2011
Organization Iraqi Department of Antiquities
Iraqi National Museum
Iraqi Academy of Sciences
University of Baghdad

Donny George Youkhanna (Arabic: دوني جورج, Syriac: ܕܘܢܝ ܓܘܪܓ ܝܘܚܢܢ‎) (October 23, 1950 – March 11, 2011)[1] was an Iraqi-Assyrian archaeologist, anthropologist, author, curator, and scholar, and a visiting professor at Stony Brook University in New York.

Biography

Youkhanna was born in Habbaniyah, Iraq in 1950 to Assyrian parents from northern Iraq.[1] He moved with his family to Baghdad during his childhood, where he gained his education. He gained a BA, MA, and PhD in prehistoric archaeology at the University of Baghdad.[2] He was fluent in Aramaic, Arabic, and English.

Youkhanna was the Director General of Iraq’s National Museum,[3] Chairman of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage and the President of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. He conducted excavations in the Bekhme Dam area, Nineveh, and Tell Umm al-Aqarib as well as working on many restoration projects in Babylon, Nimrud, Nineveh, Ur and Baghdad. He authored two books on the structural design and stone industries of Tell es Sawwan, and gave several presentations on the current museum conditions and historical archaeological sites of Iraq.

Dr. George, who dropped his last name for professional purposes, was instrumental in recovering over half of the 15,000 Mesopotamian artifacts[4][5][6] looted from the National Museum in Baghdad during the invasion. A majority of the artefacts date back to 6,000 years from the ancient empires of Assyria and Babylonia.[3] He fought his way through to the Iraq National Museum in the days after the American-led invasion of Iraq and tried to stop the looters ransacking it but was unable to persuade American soldiers to protect it because they had been given no orders to do so.[7]

He became the international face of the plight of ancient sites and artefacts in Iraq, many of which were stolen or destroyed during the invasion.[8] In December 2008, Youkhanna was decisive in preventing the sale of royal Neo-Assyrian[9] earrings from the world famous Nimrud treasures at Christie's art auction in New York.

Due to threats from unknown militia groups during the US occupation of Iraq, Youkhanna was forced to flee Iraq with his family first to Syria and then to the United States in 2006,[10] to take up a position as visiting professor at Stony Brook University in New York.[2]

He died on 11 March 2011 as a result of a heart attack while he was travelling via Toronto Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was 60.[7]

Education

Career

Works

Authored

Publications

Conferences

Lectures

References

  1. 1 2 Statement of Dr. Donny George for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Donny George Youkhanna". Stony Brook University. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  3. 1 2 Assyrian archaeologist to speak about Iraq museum artifact recovery campaign
  4. ↑ Saviour of Iraq's antiquities flees to Syria, The Guardian
  5. ↑ Assyrian Archaeologist Speaks about Assyrian Identity and the Iraq Museum Artifact Recovery Campaign, Nineveh Online
  6. ↑ A conversation with Donny George, former director of the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad, Charlie Rose
  7. 1 2 Martin, Douglas (2011-03-14). "Donny George, Protector of Iraq’s Ancient Riches, Dies at 60". Obituary. The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
  8. ↑ The Looting of the Iraq Museum, The Archaeology Channel
  9. ↑ Iraq bids to stop Christie's sale of ancient earrings, Christian Science Monitor
  10. ↑ DONNY GEORGE biography, Montalvo Arts Center
  11. ↑ Antiquities under siege: cultural heritage protection after the Iraq war

External links

Video Interviews

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