Balanced Views

Comments on "Who Owns the Past"

Archaeologist Dorothy King comments in her personal blog about the book "Who Owns the Past", which presents the collector's view of cultural property issues.

Ancient Treasures for Sale

A brilliant analysis and summary of the cultural property issues being hotly contested these days. By Steven Vincent, author of "In the Red Zone" and victim of assasination in Iraq.

Dave Welsh on Import Restrictions (pdf file)

Unidroit-L discussion list founder and moderator Dave Welsh expounds on the issue of import restrictions in a letter to the Cultural Property Advisory Committee as it convenes to consider the request of Italy for an extension of import restrictions. Although coins were exempted from the original request five years ago, the potential for them to be added at this time has not been ruled out. Dave Welsh is Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the ACCG.

Casualties of War: The truth about Baghdad Museum

A balanced discussion of the events surrounding the reported looting of the Baghdad Museum, prepared by Matthew Bogdanos, the U.S. special investigator assigned. Published in the American Journal of Archaeology.

Through the Fog of War in Iraq: Lessons Learned in Heritage Preservation

By by Ann Hitchcock. A downloadable pdf file of an excellent analysis from the George Wright Forum.

Numismatics and the antiquities trade (PDF file)

By Martin Beckmann. The Celator, May 1998.

Conservation and the Antiquities Trade

By Catherine Sease. A relatively open-minded discussion of questions concerning ethics in archaeology and conservation.

Iraq Museum

A factual summary of the events surrounding the looting of the Iraq Museum.

The Failed Promise of Public Archaeology

A paper by archaeologist Michael E. Roberts delivered at the 1995 Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in Minneapolis.

On-line auctions: a new venue for the antiquities market

Christopher Chippindale & David W. Gill examine the online auction venue and point out potential and real problems that can and do occur in an uncontrolled market.

State Department Advisory Committee Meets on Italian Request for Import Restrictions

By Peter K. Tompa. (The Celator, Vol 13, No. 12, December 1999) A report on the original CPAC hearing of a request to impose import restrictions on cultural property.