Saturday, February 18, 2012

Time for a Major Rethink in Greece

Greece's financial meltdown has prompted calls for its economy to be liberalized by cutting back on excessive government regulations and ending state subsidies for connected insiders.

While the archaeological blogosphere remains in denial, it's time for those without a vested interest in the status quo to make suggestions on how Greece can turn its current challenges into an opportunity by similarly liberalizing its cultural establishment. Here are some ideas, though I'm sure others will have their own views.

In the Short Run:

  • Deploy the Greek Army to protect archaeological sites and museums.



  • Reduce the cultural bureaucracy. Greece sent a huge delegation to the US to appear at the State Department's CPAC hearing on Greece. (My recollection is there were 12 people there!) Most countries make do with one or two representatives. This confirms for me other complaints that the cultural ministry's upper management is grossly overstaffed.



  • Deaccession and sell off duplicates from museum stores to foreigners and wealthy Greeks.



  • Give tax breaks to individuals that donate money to Greek museums.



  • Require foreign archaeologists to pay a hefty user fee for the privilege of excavating in the country, but as a quid pro quo reestablish the historic practice of partage.



  • Require foreign archaeologists to police their own sites when they are not being actively excavated.

    In the longer term:

  • Establish a legal market for ancient artifacts that can be taxed.



  • Establish a recording system akin to the Treasure Act and PAS.



  • Require developers to pay for the services of archaeologists to undertake salvage excavations on land likely to contain ruins, but then allow the developer to sell what is found after it is recorded, or give them a tax break if the artifact is worthy of going into a museum.

    I'm not expecting any suggestions from the archaeological community other than more clamp downs on collectors, dealers and museums, but perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised.

  • 6 comments:

    Dorothy King said...

    Hmmm. My two cents worth ...

    "Deploy the Greek Army to protect archaeological sites and museums." -

    I guess you don't believe in Posse Comitatus? ;-)
    There is National Service in Greece, and a friend worked on wrecks as part of his.

    "Reduce the cultural bureaucracy. Greece sent a huge delegation to the US to appear at the State Department's CPAC hearing on Greece. (My recollection is there were 12 people there!) Most countries make do with one or two representatives. This confirms for me other complaints that the cultural ministry's upper management is grossly overstaffed."

    The same can be said for museums in most countries, and had they sent two people some might have argued they were not taking the CPAC seriously enough.

    "Give tax breaks to individuals that donate money to Greek museums."

    I think it's widely agreed that one major issue in Greece has been tax avoidance by the very rich.

    "Require foreign archaeologists to pay a hefty user fee for the privilege of excavating in the country, but as a quid pro quo reestablish the historic practice of partage."

    Why? Then only very rich museums and collectors would be able to dig, and the field would become far poorer. Many archaeologists are not interested in partage.

    "Require foreign archaeologists to police their own sites when they are not being actively excavated."

    The major ones already do by and large, but a) this would require foreign archaeologists to create a private police force, and b) see above

    Also, by "foreign" I assume you mean non-EU rather than non-Greek as it would be illegal to discriminate against archaeologists from other EU member states. So by "foreign" you mean Americans, some Canadians and Australians, and the two Japanese that excavate in Greece.

    "Require developers to pay for the services of archaeologists to undertake salvage excavations on land likely to contain ruins, but then allow the developer to sell what is found after it is recorded, or give them a tax break if the artifact is worthy of going into a museum"

    This works well in Beirut, where developpers allocate a portion of their budget to fund the archaeological service coming in before construction begins.

    Paul Barford said...

    You know... I really think you need to read a bit more before you come out with suggestions "what other people/countries should do". Like find out what they already actually do - its not too difficult, lots of books in any good library about this (you DO have libraries in Washington, don't you?).

    Developer funding: There already is development led, and developer-financed archaeology in EU member-for-some-time Greece, like in most of Europe.

    PAS-clone: There is a system already in place for inventorying accidental finds, its not exactly "saving money" to set up a parallel one for about a million euros annually (going by PAS costs).

    Pay-and-Dig: While US universities can perhaps afford your "hefty excavation permit sum" that does not go for every nation in the world that might want to have an archaeological mission in Greece. Besides which I do not see the legal basis for such a fee - where in the 2002 antiquities laws do you see one?

    Foreign policing of sites: How do you propose US policemen operating on Greek soil? How (by what authority) would they arrest a Greek tomb robber? Would they use firearms? How would the process work? Would you allow Italian policemen to arrest US citizens acting suspiciously by the Italian excavations at the pueblo at Mesa-wherever? I think there are a whole load of legal questions in stationing foreign policemen on the territory of others that you have not thought through.

    Why not just restrict US help to not preaching about (the antiquity collectors' version of) "what Uncle Sam says you have to do" unasked, but just cutting out the trade in unlawfully exported objects coming into the US? Make yourselves useful instead of making yourselves a nuisance.

    Cultural Property Observer said...

    On Developers, the point is to incentivise them to fund and report-- hence the award suggeted.

    On PAS clone, there is a system on the books but there was writtent testimony from Rick Witchonke that it is honored in its breach by the Greek bureaucracy.

    On a fee, why shouldn't archaeologists pay for the privilege of digging? Perhaps the Greeks should auction off sites to qualified Universities and see what they can get. Again, we need partage to help get the interest up.

    I did not suggest US policemen on Greek archaeologial sites. I proposed archaeologists to provide for security for their own sites. I assume they will pay for locals to do it.

    What's wrong with making proposals? You certainly do your own preaching. Why should anyone care what a busybody from Poland has to say to Americans?

    Cultural Property Observer said...

    For Dorothy's comments,

    Why not deploy the Greek army to protect archaeological sites and museums if there is a need? The Greeks have one and that would be a better use of it than confronting the supposed Turkish enemy.

    On the Greek cultural bureaucracy, even Italy just showed up with three people at CPAC. Believe me DOS takes them seriously. Overstaffing is a problem everywhere, but here this is taking money away money from real needs.

    Tax avoidance is a problem in Greece (and Italy for that matter), but people still pay taxes and this would be a way to raise funds.

    On archaeologists paying for the privilege of excavating, why not? Partage would provide the incentive for it to be funded by collectors or museums. This would be a way to raise money for the Greek cultural establishment in cash strapped times. Perhaps, the right to excavate at sites should be auctioned off to ensure fairness and get the best value for the Greeks.

    As to policing, why shouldn't archaeologists have that responsibility? It is a bit strange that they can abandon a site for months, but not be responsible for helping to protect it. There are ways to do this remotely these days with camera technology being what it is.

    I'm glad you are on board perhaps about my suggestion concerning developers.

    Paul Barford said...

    No, you are not listening.

    Developer funding ALREADY is part of the system. There is abundant literature about this.

    "On a fee, why shouldn't archaeologists pay for the privilege of digging?"
    Why not? Would you make the same kind of charges to geologists, soil chemists etc? Or just archaeologists? I asked on what legal grounds?

    "Again, we need partage to help get the interest up." No. Indiana Jones is a fictional character. Universities over here do not collect stuff. They do proper research, not trophy hunting. Most European universities do not give their archaeology departments unlimited funds to pay off foreign governments. There is a recession here you know.

    "I assume they will pay for locals to do it".
    How much do you propose paying them to face masked gunmen? What are "locals" going to do faced with masked gunmen? What would you do faced with a masked gunman Peter? How much would you have to be paid to confront them instead of running away? How do you see this system working?

    What's wrong with making proposals? What is wrong with somebody discussing your proposals and asking you to be more precise in what you are suggesting?

    Cultural Property Observer said...

    Mr. Barford- You are getting into your usual rant mode.

    I read some time ago that a wonderful Statue was found in a creek in Greece, having been dumped there by a developer who was afraid to report it. My proposal seeks to give developers some real incentive to work with archaeologists not against them.

    Partage is an old and well regarded practice. The U. Penn. Museum among others is filled with artifacts received through partage. So what is wrong with it, particularly if it can bring money to Greece and artifacts for museums or collectors that fund digs and any fees that are raised from them?

    Why not hire guards for sites or at least install cameras so there could be surveillance during the many months excavations are not worked?

    Honestly, you really have nothing at all positive to add to this debate. Your views are entirely negative.