In 2008, security at an airport in Cairo captures a man attempting to smuggle priceless Egyptian artifacts, including two mummies of a cat and an ibis. (BBC News 2008) In 1999, authorities in Thailand found over 700 artifacts, many of them almost a thousand years old, hidden in a sculptor’s house in a town called Ayutthaya. Many of them are related to Buddhist practices and structures, and are thought to have been stolen from important sites. (Akanond 1999) Even more recently in 2015, due to the instability of countries in the Middle East, the smuggling of antiques from sites under control of ISIS, and their illegal trade and selling in London is common up until this day, and most likely will continue to be as long as the instability continues. (Shabi 2015)
These are just a few cases of illegal smuggling of antiques, but even in this small sampling we can see their impact on people and their cultural heritage. The stealing of culturally important icons and the desecration of religious sites, such as the case with the smuggling of mummies in Cairo (BBC News 2008) and the looting of Buddhist sites in Ayutthaya (Akanond 1999), tell us of the little respect these people hold for the items, people, and countries they are stealing from. In the case of ISIS, this looting of historical sites even plays into their terrorism, by violently stripping the people of their heritage in order to both fund and achieve their political goals. As stated in the article, the illegal selling of
The old metal was melted and sold to store-dealers. Old tin and iron vessels were also melted down and sold to make things like clamps for trunks and for making copperas – used in dying, tanning, or making ink. Old bricks and oyster shells were sold to builders for sinking foundations and forming roads. All broken glass vessels were sold to old glass shops. Old boots and shoes were sold to “Prussian-blue manufactures”. Finally, all jewelry, coins, and other forms of money were either kept or sold to Jews. Due to all of these “hidden treasures,” big dust heaps could have been worth thousands of pounds.
Most countries will buy stolen merchandise knowingly, considering they are selfish and only think about improving their country. Many countries do not think about the losses of other countries. For example,if the United States loss something really important many people would want to fight to find their countries prize possession.As mentioned in “Bring Them Home,”Egypt’s invaluable burial mask was stolen and purchased at a museum in St.Louis.In modern time,people are jailed for receiving stolen merchandise;maybe some museums need to be shut down for not returning looted
This is interesting because the crusaders stole the old relics to only then sell them in Europe.
BOSTON, MA (June 23, 2014)—A world-class collection of jewels from ancient Nubia at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), will go on view this summer in Gold and the Gods: Jewels of Ancient Nubia. The MFA’s collection of Nubian adornments is the most comprehensive outside Khartoum—the result of an early 20th-century expedition by the Museum with Harvard University. The exhibition opens on July 19, and includes works by Nubian goldsmiths and jewelers, who were among the most innovative in the ancient world. Featuring some 100 excavated ornaments dating from 1700 BC to AD 300, which will be on view in the Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation Gallery, the exhibition explores the royal tombs of kings and queens, which were filled with elaborate jewelry such as necklaces, amulets, stacked bracelets and earrings. The MFA is unique in its ability to mount an exhibition of Nubian jewelry and adornment drawn exclusively from its own collection. In addition to gold––Nubia’s most important commodity––jewelry in the exhibition incorporates precious materials such as lapis lazuli (imported from Afghanistan), blue chalcedony (imported from Turkey), amethystine quartz and carnelian, as well as enamel and glass––both of which were rare and valuable new technologies at the time. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated MFA Publication on Nubian jewelry.
Collecting objects from a specific culture is also unethical, not because objects are being stolen, but because people are being put on display as if they are not human. In Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Indian skulls and bones are “labeled like a library book with a tracking number, wrapped in coarse white muslin, and packed in a cardboard box” (1). People are viewing these exhibits and looking at the bones as if they are normal objects you see every day. These bones were once humans, and they are being shown off like animals. Labeling them like library books shows the dehumanization of these exhibits, which is ironic because institutions and collectors find their culture so interesting. In a way, this can be considered racist. While discussing this piece, a classmate said “Why are we [as in, Native Americans] so interesting to you [as in, mostly white historians]; why don’t we have exhibits
Antiques, they are hundreds, maybe thousands years old, but what if someone just took them from you. You would want them back, right? This valuable prized possession, someone just, stole. Well, imagine it a bit more extreme. That has been the major problem in Egypt for many years. Britain, France, and other surrounding countries have been stealing major antiquities from Egypt illegally for a long time. These countries should give back Egypt’s antiquities because, they deserve to be in their country of origin, these artifacts represent Egyptian culture, and Egyptian antiquities are not only limited to staying in the pyramids.
The United States and its allied partners have made good progress in their efforts to control terrorist activities in many parts of the globe, but these efforts can only yield results if the substantial funding sources of Da'esh and similar groups aren't curbed immediately. They must focus efforts on adopting proactive measures that curb the market of looted and stolen antiquities and artifacts by terrorist organizations. Blood antiquities serve as a major means of funding terrorists ensures their continued existence and the possibility for future expansion. The Middle East is an exceptional archaeological and art-historical palimpsest of vanished and still existing civilizations as illustrated with an array of sites and monuments spanning
Guided by “The Illiad” to a site in modern day Turkey, Schliemann, a German archaeologist, discovered a set of rings, coins, goblets, earrings, pendants and diadems knows to us as the Trojan treasure or Priam’s treasure. A collection of 259 gold, sliver and copper peices of jewlery is a small but exclusive share of the more than 8 000 pieces Schliemann unearthed between 1872 and 1890, in his lifelong quest to prove that the Trojan myths were not fiction but instead historical fact.
Ancient Egyptian artifacts should not be returned to Egypt from their current museums, because who ever found the artifacts is technically the owner not whoever wants the artifacts.
Many horrible and despicable acts have been committed during wartime. However, some of the worst acts committed are not readily known, such as the destruction and looting of historical areas and heritage sites. Published in Near Eastern Archaeology, an article named “Satellite Imagery-Based Analysis of Archaeological Looting in Syria” tackles this issue. In it Jesse Casana, the author, explains how his team is using satellite imagery (along with ground reports) to track the widespread looting across Syria. Casana is currently an Associate Professor at Dartmouth College, in the Department of Anthropology. He is also directing a survey project in the Diyala River Valley in Iraq. His previous engagement was as director of an excavation at Tell Qarqur in Syria. His specialization is in the development and implementation of geospatial technology and its use in archaeology. The combination of his boots on the ground experience in Syria, along with his specialization makes him a perfect candidate to lead the analysis on these looting sites. There are many reasons that I chose to review this article, the foremost being that it simply sounded fascinating. In addition to that, I wanted to gather more information as to where, why, and to what extent, looting was occurring. /!/
There are many similarities in the ethical statements/codes of the SAA, SHA, AIA, and RPA. The ones that pertain to this case are as follows: it is the responsibility of archaeologists to work for the long-term conservation and protection of the archaeological record (SAA 1, AIA 1, RPA 1.1-e). The buying and selling of objects out of archaeological context is contributing to the destruction of the archaeological record around the world, and these items should not be traded, sold, bought, or bartered as commercial goods (SAA 3, SHA 6, AIA 2, RPA 1.2-e). Within reasonable time, the knowledge archaeologists gain
Is it Ethical? Ethics concerning archaeology have been a problem that has concerned people for a very long time. Only recently in the last half-century has it become an actually issue for archaeologists themselves but the people from around the world who treasure hunters and robbers have stolen sacred artefacts and remains from places of extreme cultural or religious significance has been an issue since the medieval ages. A prime example of one of these archaeologists is famous (or infamous) Giovanni Belzoni.
The recent repatriation laws set up by Egypt and the subsequent demands from other nations have stirred up great debates over who is to have possession over the priceless ancient artifacts. In the last few decades many countries including Egypt have proclaimed that they want the return of many of their uncovered artifacts. Egypt 's ' demands stretch from museums in the United States to Europe, with growing controversy from both sides as to who rightfully owns these historical artifacts. Simply put, all artifacts discovered in Egypt do technically belong to Egypt. Egyptian museums should have the right to showcase the history of their ancient predecessors by showcasing the material culture of their past uncovered from that time. However, the United States along with other Western nations, particularly England counter their claim by saying that it is in the majorities interest that artifacts from around the world can be seen in "universal museums". That in contrast to the museums in Egypt, a museum such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art presents to a more diverse audience who can view and appreciate the value of "the greatest of family trees, in which every culture finds its branch". The argument for universal museums is coupled with the instability of Egypt that results in constant looting of Egyptian museums. Leaving us with the question of "what is the best way to protect our worlds cultural heritage?" Is it best if museums already in possession of ancient artifacts
The recovery of human remains and artefacts can cause ethical issues to arise for archaeologists. This happens primarily because a person, community or culture may have a connection with such material. Today, archaeologists strive to deal with human remains with respect and artefacts with care. Despite the controversy the ethics in archaeology can cause, it is a very important aspect. It allows for consideration to be taken while handling finds that may be a sensitive topic for some. In recent years, archaeologists and museums have become more aware of the emotions and customs of other cultures. In response, there has been repatriation of human remains and artefacts to their rightful owners or custodians. The way in which archaeological finds
Of the many crimes that are present in this day and age, one that not only vandalizes the property, but as well as historical background is that of art theft. A crime that has taken away the sanctity of churches as well as many other religious and historical sites. Thefts have ranged from WWII (World War II) to the times of the Holocaust. Of the items that were taken from the churches, relics were items of great priority. These items not only had great value to the churches they were stolen from, but a great value to relic collectors. Most of the items taking during these times were either sold or placed in underground storage. Most of these items that were place in these secret places were never to be seen again. From the