Stolen Property or

Finders Keepers?

What is Cultural Heritage?

“Cultural heritage is the things, places and practices that define who we are as individuals, as communities, as nations or civilisations and as a species. It is that which we want to keep, share and pass on.”

UNESCO and other government and non-government agencies established international registers, agreements, structures and rules. Arguably heritage became more valued and vital as the pace of historical change quickened and the scale of destruction increased.

Stolen Property or Finders Keepers?

The Ownership of many priceless artworks has become questionable because of how each was acquired.

Some were taken in the process of colonisation, some as bounty and others by treasure hunters.

Throughout Europe's turbulent history, art works regularly changed hands through armed conflict or political domination. And from the 19th century, the Europeans began bringing Asian, African and Latin American treasures into their museums -- to save them, it was claimed, from destruction.

Increasingly, however, "victim" countries are refusing to view history as a closed book. Greece has long demanded the return of the Elgin Marbles, the 253 sculptures from the Parthenon that are in the British Museum. Turkey, China, Cambodia, Nigeria, Mali and Bangladesh say their cultural heritage was ransacked. Mexicans lament that the feathered headdress

of the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma is in a Vienna museum.

Koh-I-Noor: Once the largest Diamond in the World. It was held in the Indo-Pakistan region until taken over by England. The Diamond has since been re-cut and forms part of the Crown Jewels.

Insert a few pages with images of key ‘stolen’ artefacts such as Egyptian obelisks, Rosetta Stone, bust of Nefertiti and Dendera Zodiac, Benin Bronzes, Ishtar Gate and the Imperial Treasure of China.

Elgin MarblesThe collection known as the Elgin Marbles is named after Lord Thomas Bruce Elgin and the marbles are sculptures from the Parthenon.

The controversy surrounding the Elgin Marbles centres on their removal and transporting of these marbles to London by Lord Elgin and his representatives in 1800 and 1806.

Lord Elgin was British Ambassador to Constantinople (which Greece was controlled by at the time) in 1799 and he saw the opportunity to become the authority on Greek antiquities.

In the beginning Lord Elgin was only permitted to measure and sketch the monuments but eventually expanded his influence by signing an agreement with the Turkish government which loosely translated allowed him to “take away any sculptures or inscriptions which do not interfere with the works or walls of the citadel.”

Elgin MarblesFearing that the Greek treasures could fall into the hands of Napoleon (who had control over a number of Egyptian treasures) Elgin urged a speedy removal of the marbles.

The speed of removal and concerns regarding weight and size during transportation resulted in breakage and acts of mutilation, including the sawing in half many sculptures for packing.

One ship was wrecked on the return voyage to England - the marbled were recovered two years later, but this started the controversy over the removal of the marbles.

The Marbles were initially stored in a damp shed at Elgin’s home until he tried to sell his collection to the British Government as a means to provide climate conditions for the collection as well as to recoup his losses.

After several public exhibits of the marbles, Lord Elgin become dubbed a ‘looter’ and calls were made to return the treasures to Greece - especially after they gained independence from Turkey in 1833.

Elgin MarblesIn 1816, Elgin accepted the British Museum’s offer to buy the collection (even though the amount was much lower than what he had been asking).

A permanent exhibition area was established in 1831.

Due to congestion in the room and visitor confusion over which were the original marbles and which were copies, a new gallery was opened in 1962.

Debate still rages over whether or not the British Government should return the marbles, The debate intensified during Athens’ preparation for the 2004 Olympic Games.

Today, the new Acropolis Museum has a total area of 25,000 square meters, with exhibition space of over 14,000 square meters, ten times more than that of the old museum on the Hill of the Acropolis. The new Museum offers all the amenities expected in an international museum of the 21st century.

The museum was built due to the need for a new Museum equipped with all technical facilities for the conservation of the invaluable Greek artefacts, “where eventually the Parthenon sculptures will be reunited.”

TaskImagine you are a representative on an international committee that must negotiate an ‘agreement’ concerning the Elgin Marbles that will be acceptable to both parties.

You must consider the following when deciding your outcome:

Historical Considerations: What is cultural heritage? Do some objects override a specific cultural heritage when they become a financial consideration?

Financial Considerations: Should the Greeks purchase their own national treasures? Should the British Government be compensated for their loss?

Environmental Considerations: How much regard should be given to issues such as pollution levels in London or Athens or climate controls in the museum?

International Precedents: Is the agreement applicable to all such cases or just the Elgin Marbles? Once the international committee crosses the line regarding repatriation of specific artefacts, can the line be re-drawn to protect other collections? What effect would the repatriation of all cultural artefacts to their country of origin have for the world’s museums?