Daniel Potts, professor of Middle Eastern archaeology at the University of Sydney, will leave as soon as security permits are received for a visit sponsored by the government-appointed Council for Australian-Arab Relations.

Potts, a world renowned archeologist who has previously done excavations and archaeological fieldwork in the region, will help curators reestablish records at the museum.

Most of the museum's priceless and irreplacable exhibits were looted or destroyed after Baghdad fell to coalition troops.

"Reconstructing the records will help identify stolen items and this information will be shared with local and international authorities to help recover as many of the items as possible," the council said in a statement.

"The council deeply regrets the loss of the museum's treasures," it said. "This loss is a tragedy for the Iraqi people, the Arab world, and for us all."

The council, which was formed by the government last year, will donate a laptop computer, software, a scanner and camera to the museum for record-keeping.

SPACE.WIRE