CLEVELAND—With critics calling the instrument an essential part of Sumeria’s history of killer riffs and hot licks, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame came under pressure Friday to return to Iraq an ancient Mesopotamian Stratocaster that was plundered by British archaeologists during the colonial era. “Dating from 3300 BC, this guitar, with its original terra-cotta hardware and perfectly preserved whammy bar, is a one-of-a-kind artifact that represents a vital piece of Iraqi heritage,” said activist Nasim Radi, who also criticized the museum for failing to relinquish a 4,500-year-old Egyptian Moog synthesizer, a rare pre-Columbian eight-piece drumkit from Mesoamerica, and a mysterious obelisk used in a staging of the first Chinese rock opera. “It is a sacred relic of Mesopotamia’s hard-rocking past that was stolen and belongs back home. In a ritual performed to increase crop yields, Sumerian priests would unleash face-melting leads on this pre-CBS Fender Strat, a cultural advancement that continues to resonate with us today. Not to mention it has a really badass dragon carved on the back.” At press time, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was reportedly negotiating the return of the Stratocaster in exchange for the right to retain possession of the original Assyrian sheet music for “Stairway To Heaven.”
