[MSN] Man makes cultural connections

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Man makes cultural connections

Matthew Bogdanos offers perspective from time in Iraq and Afghanistan

BY RUTH LIAO
Statesman Journal

October 14, 2006

With a background in law, the military and classical studies, Willamette University guest speaker Matthew Bogdanos held an audience of about 100 people captive Friday at Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center.

Bogdanos talked about how Iraq and Afghanistan have contributed a wealth of culture to civilization.

"It is my fear that this country views Iraq as nothing but a bunch of murderers, or in Afghanistan, a bunch of opium dealers," he said. "We have so much more in common than I think people think," he said.

Bogdanos mainly spoke about his experience leading an effort to recover thousands of priceless antiquities, including the Sacred Vase of Warka, the Mask of Warka and a 4,000-year-old Akkadian piece. In 2003, looters stole priceless antiquities from the national museum in Baghdad, a story that made national headlines after the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Kimberly Dunn of Newberg, who attended the lecture, said she hoped that cultural preservation and talks such as Bogdanos' are emphasized more often.

"It ought to be a focus in today's troubled times," she said.

The lecture was one of the public events that was part of a two-day Willamette University Cultural Heritage Conference. The conference spans topics dealing with cultural heritage from legal, ethical and archaeological perspectives, according to David McCreery, one of the conference's organizers and a religious studies professor.

McCreery said Bogdanos became a natural choice as a speaker as conference organizers looked to create a panel about the museum looting.

Friday night, Bogdanos peppered his speech with quotes from Shakespeare to Voltaire to Socrates, describing the emotional spectrum of encounters he had while working in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The warmth and hospitality that Iraqis have shown me," he said, "that's something that's going to stay with me forever."

As an investigator, Bogdanos said he had to cultivate relationships with residents in order to track down information leading to the recovery of stolen pieces, often drinking tea and playing backgammon at hangouts.

Mostly, Bogdanos said, he wants his audiences to understand why cultural heritage is so important, especially in the international community.

"It's not just alabaster with funny writing on it, or a chunk of limestone that's broken anyway," he said. "History matters, not only to ourselves, but to our children, and their children yet unborn."

He said his goals are to create an international commission to help govern the state of antiquities around the world, and to motivate the public in learning about cultural heritage.

Bogdanos lived a block away from the World Trade Center and lost several close friends on Sept. 11, 2001. Bogdanos was called to active duty shortly thereafter. Recently, he wrote "Thieves of Baghdad" about his experience. He is donating proceeds from the book to the National Museum of Iraq.

Alicia Vaandering, a Willamette University senior, said it was a coincidence that she had turned in a paper about Bogdanos' work for her archaeology class just a few weeks before she learned that he was coming to campus to speak. Vaandering said she enjoyed learning about Bogdanos' classical studies background and not just his military experience.

"He did it because he was passionate," she said.

Salem resident Lindy Trolan said she attended the conference as part of her job working for the Grand Ronde tribe. She bought one of Bogdanos' books because she was impressed that the funds would go toward the museum. Trolan said she was interested in learning about efforts toward cultural preservation worldwide, especially with her own and local Native American cultures.

"It's nice to know that, internationally, there's so much in common," Trolan said.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com