Troops trampled ruins

last updated 8 January 2015

Babylon, Iraq

The U.S.-led coalition drove tanks through the ancient ruins of Babylon, crushing priceless artifacts, British Museum officials said this week. American and Polish troops initially came to the archaeological site to protect it from looters. But then they used it to dump tons of gravel for making roads and helipads, and later filled sandbags with dirt containing shards of pottery—causing easily as much damage as thieves could have. Heavy military vehicles also crushed a brick road dating from the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, who built the famous hanging gardens around 550 B.C.