[MSN] MANAMA - Dr Abdulaziz Sulabeekh, an archeological researcher at the Bahrain National Museum, claimed that archeological pieces from Delmon era were stolen before the kingdom's independence.

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

Bahrain must get back items stolen from Delmon era'
By Suad Hamada (Our correspondent)

5 December 2007 

MANAMA - Dr Abdulaziz Sulabeekh, an archeological researcher at the Bahrain
National Museum, claimed that archeological pieces from Delmon era were
stolen before the kingdom's independence.


He said that he saw some of the items at the shops of British and Danish
museums and accused the archeological missions who visited Bahrain in the
mid of the last century of stealing them.

"Before independent there was nobody to protect our archeological sites, but
after the implementation of an archeological law in the seventies, things
have improved and our heritage was protected by the concern bodies in the
government," he said.

Sulabeekh demanded these pieces back as they are part of the National
heritage of Bahrain and could shed more light to the Delmon era. "It is sad
that these pieces aren't on display at any museum and are kept in the dark
in shops."

Before independence, there was no monitoring on archeological sites, so
during rainy seasons, rare pieces used to be seen on land's surfaces and
they were easy to be picked up by passerby who knew their worth, especially
in villages, he explained.

Sulabeekh, who is writing his PhD thesis on Bahrain civilisation, criticised
the affects of urbanisation and land scarcity which force the government to
convert the biggest cemetery in history (Aali mounts) into housing projects.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/