New generation of Iraqi archaeologists follows in mentor's footsteps
Iraq's young archaeologists are remembering their inspiration and frequent mentor Lamia Gailani, who worked hard to restore her country's lost heritage and encourage new scientists to explore the field.
Junaid Amer Hameed, a young archaeologist from Baghdad, was working as a guide at the National Museum of Iraq in 2016 when he met Lamia al-Gailani, Iraq’s iconic archaeologist.
She had heard that Amer was interested in archaeology and asked to meet him. "She asked if I prefer to work as a guide or to focus on my specialization in cuneiform studies. I told her working at excavations is the dream of every archaeologist, besides other tasks," Amer said. “She was the best supporter of the museum in its constant endeavors to recover its treasures [after being looted in the 2003 US invasion]. She also supported the training of its staff through workshops outside the country.”
"She liked supporting the youth," he said. "Two days before she passed away, she was in Amman attending a workshop to train curators protecting the cultural heritage of Iraq and Syria."
Amer, who now works in the museum as an Assyriologist, is one of the new generation of Iraqi archaeologists who were influenced and inspired by Gailani, who died on Jan. 18 in Amman at the age of 80.
