Zahi Hawass: A Response to Britt Peterson s "Tales from the Vitrine"
/_ February 15th 2009 _/
I read an interesting article recently in the online edition of The Nation. Written by Britt Peterson, it is called “Tales from the Vitrine,” and addresses the ongoing public debate over the role of museums in the illicit antiquities trade.
In the article, Peterson brings up the book Who Owns Antiquity, by Art Institute of Chicago director James Cuno - reading the article, I was happy to note that Peterson exposes many of the deep flaws in Cuno’s argument. I would like to add my own remarks here.
The premise of Who Owns Antiquity is that ancient artifacts are best kept in the encyclopedic museums of the West, even if they were stolen from archaeological sites and museums in their home countries. Cuno claims that the fight to have looted artifacts repatriated interferes with the ability of these museums to protect the objects in their collections. What Cuno does not say is that by buying and keeping looted artifacts, museums are offering a direct incentive to thieves to continue attacking sites, storage magazines, and museums - irretrievably separating artifacts from the archaeological context that gives them much of their value as sources of knowledge. By announcing that museums want to keep stolen artifacts in their collections, Cuno is contributing directly to the flourishing market in illicit antiquities.
I have written an open letter to the museums of the world telling them that if they buy or keep stolen Egyptian artifacts, the Supreme Council of Antiquities will cut off all cooperation with them, whether in terms of permitting their teams to excavate in Egypt or of loaning objects to them for exhibition. I did this because the only good way to stop looting is by depriving the thieves of their market. Museums must take the lead in setting the right example - if they fail to do so, they are essentially declaring that the illicit antiquities trade can continue unabated.
I ask the museums of the world to support Egypt and other source countries in their efforts to make it clear to looters that the destruction of our shared heritage will not be tolerated. I hope that they will accept this responsibility, and help us to keep our heritage safe for future generations.
