NEWS: Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers...

CULTURE: Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers...

While Peru sues Yale over artifacts collected almost a century ago, the Guardian reflects on why museums keep artifacts that don’t belong to them and refuse to return those artifacts to their country of origin. For example, the Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles were brought to the British Museum where they have been on display since 1806. Greece claims that the marbles should be returned immediately to Athens.

I think this is a fair concern. Indeed, moving the Elgin Marbles, for instance, may horribly damage them. And enough can’t be said about giving a country back millions of dollars in artifacts only to watch it go up a despot’s nose.

This highlights my big problem for keeping artifacts that don’t belong to the city of origin: a snotty, self-serving assumption that they will be given more authority and care in one place over another. The assumption is that Athens isn’t a world city, or that people don’t go to Addis Ababa. Yet, the culture that created those artifacts don’t go to those places either. Perhaps the Marbles are safer in London, but there’s something to be said about having to go to another country to view a national treasure.

ummm, sorry, there's no paris hilton involved in crazy hijinks in this...

take it away!!

I think a 100 years is way past the statuate (sp?) of Limitations for theft.

How do you move a fresco? I mean really how would you move one.

THis is incredibly important to native cultures, getting back their ancestors bones and property has to do with easing their spirits, to simplify it.

just do what the french did to the egyptians when they asked for artifacts back. send them plaster replicas for their troubles

This sounds a lot like the "white man's burden" arguments. "We must protect these savages' noble native art from their savage ways."

We also shouldn't forget that a lot of artifacts were basically sold by the countries of origin. They charged money to allow researchers to excavate and remove the items.

I can see that returning anything looted is right thing to do, but that doesn't really apply to the Marbles. Museums would be rather dull if they only contained local items. The article seems to be arguing that for a museum to buy artifacts is tantamount to committing a cultural crime, if not at the time of purchase that perhaps at some future time, when the items are seen as being more important/valuable.

Err...which article are you reading? He pretty much argues for the objects staying in London museums.

Rather, WESTERN museums, which have been built off the stolen cultural tresures of others, would be very dull. What would the British or German Museums have without the cultural treasures they jacked?

Is it true that many of these countries don't really have the resources available to take care of them properly? Yes. But that generally has to do with the history of colonialism and the wreckage of their countries that still exists years after colonial powers left, along with the booty.

If these Museums were interested in real cross cultural exchange, they would foster relationships with what professional anthropolgists and archeaologists exist in the country, and help fund education and outreach to people so there could be enough people to take care of them. That way these artifacts could one day be transferred to their home country and then the tourist money would ALSO go to the home country.

You seem to be perfectly correct

I have read in far, far too much into the faintly critical portion.

So the fact that I was irresponsible enough to have my iPod stolen means someone else should keep all of my valuables to save my property from myself?

This is very true.
How about they give Australia back to the abogininals, America back to the Native Americans and Israel back to the Arabs as well?
(I'm being facicious here- I know that won't work)

Sometimes artifacts just get destroyed in their countries of origin (I seem to remember a lot of Iraqi history literally going up in smoke recently)
However, Greece is actually a reasonably safe place for them.
This 'get your hands off our marbles' debate has been running so long tho...

Bullshit. If you want to have a treasure hall then belly up, call it a treasure hall, and challenge anyone to do anything about it.

Meh...let them stay...not everyone can travel around the world to get a chance to see the history of humanity.

Heil Kipling!

this sounds eerily like the same logic used by pro-lifers.

just sayin'.