Colorado State University at Fort Collins is coming to the rescue of artifacts, antiquities, and ancient sites threatened by war in Iraq and Afghanistan. A university researcher and graphic artist have teamed up to design a deck of playing cards that feature images of historic and archaeologically important sites in the two countries, as well as tips on how to avoid damaging them. The five of clubs, for example, warns: “Drive around, not over, archaeological sites.” The cards are also intended to curtail the trade in looted artifacts. Fifty thousand decks of the cards will be distributed to members of the armed forces, just as similar sets of cards, depicting top officials in the Saddam Hussein regime, were handed out to troops at the beginning of the war. A university news release says that the cards are “strictly intended for educational use by the Department of Defense and are not for sale commercially.” —Andrew Mytelka