"Although we still await precise information it is clear that a catastrophe has befallen the cultural heritage of Iraq," said the world famous museum's director, Neil MacGregor.

Up to 170,000 items of antiquity, some of them priceless, dating back thousands of years have disappeared from Baghdad's National Archaeological Museum. Several other Iraqi museums and historic libraries have been looted or destroyed.

"We hope that the British government and the international community can move quickly to take the steps necessary to avoid further damage and to prepare the way for recovering objects looted, and for conserving those that can still be restrored," MacGregor said, adding that the conservation work could take many years.

With thousands of archaeological site dating back up to 10,000 years, Iraq -- known in ancient times as Mesopotamia -- is often referred to as "the cradle of civilisation".

MacGregor will join a meeting of some 30 Iraqi and world experts at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Thursday to attempt to take stock of the damage done to the country's cultural heritage and recommend ways to guard against further destruction.

The need to prevent looted works of art getting onto the international market is paramount, according to UNESCO, which was already trying to stem the flow of historic items from Iraq following the 1991 Gulf war, working especially with Interpol and auction houses.

Ominously, glass cutters found at the Baghdad museum indicate that some of the looting may have been carried out by professionals.

Administrative personnel at the museum were reportedly unimpressed by US troops' failure to intervene when looting began on Friday.

But according to French expert Dominique Charpin, professor of ancient history at the Sorbonne university in Paris, many of the national museum's most prized possessions were not to be found in the museum.

"When the museum reopened three years ago, the most valuable objects were not on display," he told the AFP, suggesting precious objects may have been stored at the Central Bank in Baghdad -- which may also have been looted.

UNESCO has said that they will send a team to assess the damage when security conditions permit, describing Iraq's archaeological heritage as "an invaluable legacy for humanity".

MacGregor said that such a team should "provide the help our Iraqi colleagues decide they need."

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Tuesday offered the services of the German Archaeology Institute to restore priceless artefacts, adding that "stolen objects must not find buyers and must be returned".

British International Development Secretary Clare Short described the missing and damaged artefacts as "like the history of humanity".

US Secretary of State Colin Powell pledged that the US would take a leading role in protecting artefacts, saying that "the United States understands its obligations".

Archaeologists cite the Hague Convention of 1953 which obliges warring factions to protect cultural heritage in war zones. Fifty years on, however, neither the United States or Britain has signed the convention.

In recent years, UNESCO has gained experience in war-torn and post-conflict situations. They say that culture plays a key role in consolidating peace, as can be seen in Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan.

burs/co/jfs

SPACE.WIRE