Industrial-Colonial Oil Landscapes: the case of the Iraq-Kirkuk Pipeline and the H5 Pumping Station in Jordan

Talk by Tobias Richter, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies (University of Copenhagen).

Industrial archaeology has thus far played a minor role in the heritage and archaeological discourse in Jordan and the wider Middle East. This is even though oil installations – wells, pipelines, refineries – have left an enduring mark in the modern landscape of the region. These structures are experiencing rapid decay and are threatened by ongoing development, which poses a threat to their continued preservation. The nexus between colonialism and the exploitation of the Middle East’s oil resources is an area of study that archaeologists have thus far not touched upon in any detail. However, these structures and their legacies have contributed to the broader post-colonial discourse and the relationship between private enterprise and imperial ambitions in the region. In this talk, I will present the initial results of a collaborative project centred on the H5 pumping station in Safawi, Jordan, and the Kirkuk-Haifa pipeline carried out with Jordanian and UK colleagues. I will use this project as a springboard to discuss issues surrounding the industrial-colonial oil heritage of the region.