Gertrude Bell and the Antiquities Law of Iraq

As Director of Antiquities in the nascent Iraq, Gertrude Bell was instrumental in laying the groundwork for all archaeological work in the country, including formulating antiquities legislation. After several years of work and some intense political negotiations, Bell’s law was finally passed in 1924. Bell’s legislation is a hybrid which demonstrates her multiple loyalties – protecting both Iraqi heritage and the interests of foreign archaeologists and institutions. This element is most obvious in controversial Articles relating to the division of finds, where the law does allow, under certain conditions, for archaeological artefacts to leave the country.