Troops headed to Iraq get lessons in ancient artifacts Iraq-bound troops get lesson in ancient artifacts

Lt. Col. Carl Mahnken said that he had heard previous presentations like the one at Fort Dix but that the added trip to the museum really brought the message home. Most of the objects in its collection were scientifically excavated by archaeologists.

"This tells me something about history because it was found in its context," the Kansas native said of such artifacts.

When objects are looted, on the other hand, there is no record of how and where they were found, depriving society of the chance to learn more about the ancient peoples who made them, the troops learned.

In the museum's storage area, several of the troops seemed particularly interested in one object: the smashed skull of a Mesopotamian soldier who was buried with his helmet on. Lead conservator Lynn Grant fielded questions about the victim and the material used to make his helmet (a copper alloy).

Rose tailors his briefings depending on where a group of soldiers is going. He recounts the exploits of past military leaders in the area, such as Darius of Persia and Alexander the Great. (Trivia question: What city in Afghanistan bears Alexander's name? Answer: Kandahar, which comes from Iskender, the Arabic version of Alexander.)

Rose said that response to past presentations had been very good and that soldiers had stayed in touch with some of the lecturers even after deployment, e-mailing questions from overseas. He, Wegener, and Roberts said they planned to keep giving their talks as long as needed.

And if any of the troops were looking for a post-military career, Rose told them there was a way that they could learn to appreciate antiquities even more:

"Come to Penn and study with me for eight years, and then you can do it."

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