This paper examines the Soviet Mesopotamian expeditions to Iraq (1969–84) and Syria (1988–2010), a body of work that remains largely absent from broader disciplinary histories and critical scholarship. Conducted under the USSR’s foreign archaeological program established by the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences in 1961, these campaigns positioned Soviet scholars in a region central to contemporary research on civilizational origins. In doing so, they enabled the projection of scientific parity with Western archaeology while simultaneously advancing cultural diplomacy with strategically significant countries during the Cold War.
Drawing on archival materials, excavation reports, and scholarly publications, this paper analyzes Soviet archaeology in the Middle East through its research questions, methodologies, site selection strategies, contributions to the field, and key actors. It synthesizes a comprehensive perspective on Soviet approaches to Mesopotamia by juxtaposing the work of these expeditions with that of Western counterparts, examining how Soviet archaeology functioned both epistemologically and politically in the landscape dominated by Western scholarship for over a century. Situated in the context of the post-Second World War expansion of foreign archaeological research in the Middle East and the development of Soviet foreign relations, this study traces a legacy that continues to shape archaeological practice in the region today.

First Author: Elena Vorobyeva

Keywords:
Cold War
Foreign Archaeology
Institute of Archaeology
Middle East
USSR