Youkhanna was the Director General of Iraq's National Museum,[3] Chairman of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage and the President of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. He conducted excavations in theBekhme Dam area, Nineveh, and Tell Umm al-Aqarib as well as working on many restoration projects inBabylon,Nimrud,Nineveh,Ur andBaghdad. He authored two books on the structural design and stone industries ofTell es Sawwan, and gave several presentations on the current museum conditions and historical archaeological sites ofIraq.
Dr. George, who dropped his last name for professional purposes, was instrumental in recovering over half of the 15,000Mesopotamian artifacts[4][5][6] looted from the National Museum in Baghdad during the invasion. A majority of the artefacts date back to 6,000 years from the ancient empires ofAssyria andBabylonia.[3] He fought his way through to the Iraq National Museum in the days after the American-ledinvasion of Iraq and tried to stop the looters ransacking it but was unable to persuade American soldiers to protect it because they had been given no orders to do so.[7]
He became the international face of the plight of ancient sites and artefacts in Iraq, many of which were stolen or destroyed during the invasion.[8] In December 2008, Youkhanna was decisive in preventing the sale of royalNeo-Assyrian[9] earrings from the world-famousNimrud treasures atChristie's art auction in New York.
Due to threats from unknown militia groups during the US occupation of Iraq, Youkhanna was forced to flee Iraq with his family first to Syria and then to the United States in 2006,[10] to take up a position asvisiting professor atStony Brook University in New York.[2]
He died on 11 March 2011 as a result of a heart attack while he was travelling viaToronto Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was 60.[7]
Germany: University of Berlin, Pergamum Museum, University of Heidelberg, University of Frankfurt, University of Munich, Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz
Jordan: Department of Antiquities, German Archaeological Institute in Amman
Italy: University of Rome
Japan: University of Kukushikan, Japanese Society for the Antiquities of the Middle East
Spain: University Autónoma de Madrid
Sweden: University of Gothenburg, Museum of World Culture, Museum of Mediterranean and the Middle East
USA: University of Chicago, Harvard University, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Museums of Fine Art in Boston, Pennsylvania Museum, Iraqi Embassy in Washington DC, Yeshiva University, State University of Arizona, South Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, Bowers Museum of Art in Santa Ana, Denver Museum of Science and Nature, South Methodist University in Taos, New Mexico and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colorado, CSU Stanislaus, Turlock, Gustavus Adolphus College
Iraqi