Abstract
Fieldwork in linguistics is often shaped by external socio-political forces, particularly war and conflict. This paper examines the impact of war on linguistic research, focusing on the fieldwork experiences of the author and the influence of global conflicts on the documentation of Neo-Mandaic. Through personal narratives and historical analysis, the study highlights how war shapes language preservation, research methodologies, and the identities of both linguists and language speakers. By analyzing a Mandaic text recorded during the Iraq War, the paper underscores the intersection of language, displacement, and geopolitical upheaval, advocating for a more reflexive approach to fieldwork.