From 1964 to 1971, he led excavations at Tell al-Rimah in northern Iraq. From 1965 to 1969, he was Director of the British School of Archaeology in Iraq and lived in Baghdad with his family. In June 1967, with the Six-Day War being fought by neighbouring countries, he was told by British consulate officials to leave Iraq. However, with the support of the local population (protection was offered by Iraqi cultural officials and Iraqi neighbours brought him gifts of strawberries as a sign of peace) he remained in the country. In 1968, following the 17 July Revolution, he decided that Iraq was no longer safe for his family and they planned to leave the country.