Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage denied on Friday social media allegations that archaeological sites are being deliberately destroyed for housing and infrastructure projects, saying development can proceed only after sites are excavated, documented and cleared of archaeological remains under Iraqi law.

The Board, part of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, described rescue excavation as a legal and internationally recognized practice intended to balance heritage protection with urban expansion, as Iraq, home to around 46.1 million people, faces a housing shortage estimated at 2.5 million to three million units. Mohammad Ouda al-Obaidi, head of the Tourist Guides Syndicate, previously told Shafaq News that the country has around 150,000 registered archaeological sites.

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Under the process, archaeological teams recover movable artifacts, such as pottery, coins and glassware, and transfer them to the Iraqi Museum in Baghdad, while structural remains, including mud-brick foundations and walls, are mapped, photographed and digitally documented using 3D technology.

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Once excavation is complete and authorities determine that no archaeological features remain, the Board may remove the land’s archaeological designation under Article 30 of Iraq’s Antiquities and Heritage Law No. 55 of 2002, allowing housing, infrastructure or other development to proceed.

The Board pointed to similar practices in France, Britain, Germany and Egypt and said UNESCO had recently commended Iraq’s efforts in this field. Citing Iraq’s Penal Code, it also warned that portraying land-clearing work conducted after archaeological documentation as deliberate destruction could lead to legal action.

Similar claims have previously surfaced in Saladin province. In April, the province’s antiquities authorities told Shafaq News that a reported incident involving an archaeological site resulted from an individual action outside official procedures, stressing that authorized excavations are conducted under specialist supervision and formal approvals. In June, the department rejected as “inaccurate” social media claims that construction on the Al-Bu Ajil Corniche east of Tikrit was taking place within an archaeological area, saying the project posed no threat to the nearby Tell Hatra mound.