Well Worth the Effort

As civil war grinds on in Syria and Iraq, American heritage professionals are doing what they can to help local museum curators preserve the artifacts in their care.  Of course, this won't stop the iconoclasts of ISIS from smashing historic artifacts and religious items for show, but it will provide some tools to those who care to help preserve what they can. At least the Western-leaning Syrian rebels and the Assad Regime are basically on the same page about the need to preserve Syria's magnificent cultural heritage.

The Mummy's Curse

Archaeo- blogger Paul Barford has made what appears to be a heartfelt plea that tombs not be disturbed to satisfy collectors.  But then, shouldn't the Mummy's curse also fall upon archaeologists who excavate tombs and steal grave goods from the deceased or even remove their remains?  CPO seems to recall reading that Barford himself was involved many years ago in the excavation of the grave of a Polish Noblewoman.   If so, how's this really any different in the end as far as the deceased in concerned?    If graves should not be disturbed, that should be the case across the board.

More Transparency Needed

The International Coalition to Protect Egyptian Antiquities has yet to respond to requests for the release of the text of its agreement with the Egyptian Military Dictatorship.  While many of the Coalition's projects appear non-controversial, why the secrecy, particularly when Coalition members are public charities that have preached a need for transparency in sales between private parties?

Chutzpah

The Egyptian Military Dictatorship, fresh from demanding the US Government stop the legal trade in undocumented Egyptian artifacts, has now demanded that the Borough of Northampton stop the sale of an Egyptian artifact long in its possession.  Will British local government stand up to these imperialists against such meddling?  Surely so.  Will our US State Department also show some spine and stand up for US small businesses, collectors and Museums?  Sadly, probably not given indications that the MOU with Egypt  has already been pre-judged after some behind the scenes lobbying by politically connected archaeological organizations with a vested interest in the corrupt status quo in that troubled country.

Committee on Cultural Policy Newsletter Focus on Egypt

The Committee on Cultural Policy has published a newsletter focusing on Egypt.   Stories touch on a lack of transparency in the archaeological lobby's dealings with the Egyptian government, exaggerations about an art/terror connection and an analysis of the recent appellate court decision allowing the Saint Louis Art Museum to keep the Ka-Nefer-Nefer mummy mask.  The newsletter also covers other important stories including new legislation in New York that effectively bans the trade in antique ivory objects, some of which have considerable artistic merit or historic value.

One Set of Facts for CPAC and Another for Academic Conferences?

Now, CPO has seen everything.  Just a month after a junior academic with an ax to grind against collectors claimed that a well-known numismatic author and collector's rights advocate was being "duplicitous" for explaining to the US Cultural Property Advisory Committee that ancient coins typically circulated far from where they were made, the same archaeo-blogger and import restrictions proponent that made the charge is speaking at a conference about the circulation of "currencies between cultures."  All this begs the question whether the proponents of import restrictions are providing honest appraisals of accepted numismatic facts to government decision makers.  Advocacy should only go so far.  Certainly, the facts should not change based on the audience.

Sucking Sound

China, land of the free?  For coin collectors, perhaps.  China has a booming internal market in all sorts of coins, ancient and modern.  And now, Chinese coin experts are coming to America, presumably looking for historical coins to bring back to their homeland.  CPO supports this form of cultural exchange, but wonders why the Archaeological Institute of America and the State Department's Cultural Heritage Center have worked so hard to preclude Americans from importing the exact, same coins Chinese collectors enjoy, and now Chinese dealers are now freely exporting back into China.