Archaeological remains - who cares?

[Robert Vermaat]

Well, the title seemed nice to get the attention. This thread is started to get some opinions about rights and duties, and the grey area inbetween.

CAREFUL though, lest we stray into politics. mentioning politics is of course allowed, as long as it's to do with the subject, and not when it comes to 'my country has more rights than your country' etc. etc.

I agree about the politics issues Vortigern though i didnt and dont intend to expand on those further i would hate to leave uncommented a point that was just a flare way beyond historical facts (something we care alot around here).

I can see the logic behind your points about early days of archaeology. I agree that we cant undo the past. But we can do the future. Since now archaiology isnt about tombraiding but about scienceof the highest level, and we claim to be more civilized than the people before us why dont return all the artifacts staying abroad to their rightfull owners. The exploit of those artifacts displayed in museums for centuries has payed back and more all the efforts the ''hosting'' countries have done.

I see your point. I can well understand the thought of modern people who feel robbed because so many of their ancient treasures is now in a museum in another country. And yes, my own country has its share of this.

The reasons for those treasures to move from one area, as we agree, hardly matters nowadays. Wheter stolen through greed, sold for profit, taken for study, the reasons then are not always agreed with now, or even known.
Items stolen in WWII have been dealt with in the courts (many of them quite recently), but how to deal with claims that go back at least a century or more?

Myself, I am not happy with the general idea of retrieving efforts. For one, they tend to stray quite quickly into an area where not the object is discussed, but nationalistic claims. Does a modern nation automatically have the rights on an object that was manufactured there, say, 2000 years ago?

Careful with your answer!

Why? Think of the consequences. Sure, the Elgin marbles would go to Greece. Sure, remain of ancient Polynesians would go home. But also every mummy would go to Egypt. And what about the obelisk in Rome? How about the Venice tetrarch statues – they would return to Istanbul, robbed as they were during the Crusades.

And so on, and so on. Would museums have to make an analysis of every object, and can every modern nation then claim that object, whether it was robbed or legally traded during its possible long history?

The ramifications are endless.
So, my thought and advice on this hot matter?

Be careful what you wish for. You might get it. :wink: