Who owns antiquity summary

The battle line is drawn between those who believe that national policies should prevent the looting of archeology sites and those—including a very outspoken Cuno—who think that such policies don't prevent plundering and should be changed to ensure artifacts are globally shared.

His is a cogent and powerful argument that he expresses with personal conviction. Many of his arguments are persuasive. It's difficult to disagree with the idea that people benefit when antiquities of other countries can be seen in museums around the world. And the virtues of partage also seem clear. As Cuno points out, the collections at the great museums of the world could not have been put together under our current system of cultural property laws, and the millions of people who have marveled at these collections would be poorer for not having seen them.

What superficially may seem a simple matter of 'ethnic nationalism' is described as considerably more complex, dealing with such matters as 'cultural property,' the notion of nation-states, and 'partage'—the sharing of archaeological finds the author's suggested solution to disputes.

All readers interested in current interaction among museums, academics, collectors, politicians, and so forth will be well informed here. Marantz, Choice. Cuno mobilizes a wealth of anecdotes and examples to support [his] position. The 'select bibliography' is ten pages. It explores in great depth all of the recent turmoil regarding the legal ownership of antiquities. No one involved in the acquisition of antiquities can ill afford to pass this book by as it sets the stage and defines the complexities involved in this heated battle that is sure to rage on for years to come.

Eisenberg, Ph. Gill, American Journal of Archaelogy. The book has provoked equally spirited controversy. Nationalistic agendas are set within a compelling theoretical argument that should be read by those engaged in writing as well as following museum and archaeological policies, provided that the reader understands that Cuno's emphasis is on objects and access to them rather than on the more pressing issue of the preservation of archaeological sites and cultural landscapes for a cosmopolitan world community.

The Act set important precedents, including the assertion of a broad public interest in archeology on public lands, as well as support for the care and management of archeological sites, collections, and information. The act linked the protection of sites and their appropriate, scientific excavation with public programs to care for and provide public interpretation of artifact collections and information from the study of a site and its contents.

Read more about the Antiquities Act of and find a link to the act itself. The Antiquities Act stands as an important achievement in the progress of conservation and preservation efforts in the United States. Its effects are still felt.

It provided a foundation of public policy from which more specific public attention to and preservation of historic places and structures, cultural landscapes, and other cultural resources developed during the course of the 20th century. They comprise antiquity, and antiquity knows no borders.

Antiquities need to be protected from looting but also from nationalistic identity politics. To do this, Cuno calls for measures to broaden rather than restrict international access to antiquities. He advocates restoration of the system under which source countries would share newly discovered artifacts in exchange for archaeological help, and he argues that museums should again be allowed reasonable ways to acquire undocumented antiquities.

Cuno explains how partage broadened access to our ancient heritage and helped create national museums in Cairo, Baghdad, and Kabul. The first extended defense of the side of museums in the struggle over antiquities, Who Owns Antiquity?

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