Why does the British Museum not return artifacts? Egyptologists and representatives from Greece now . India. The British museum should NOT return artifacts it has stolen from lands such as Egypt. Those artifacts are much more culturally important and valued in their nations of origin than they are in Britain. At first, it seems the museum should return these items to their native countries of Greece, Polynesia, and Egypt. It was unfairly ceded to Queen Victoria when Britain annexed Punjab in 1849. Germany and the Netherlands have announced their own plans to return items. The British Museum has also argued that, if all the ancient artifacts in the world that have ever been stolen were returned to their countries of origin, it would leave nearly every museum on earth almost completely empty because nearly all ancient artifacts have reached their present owners through theft of some kind. The British Museum, for many, is a place of education and cultural celebration, although others are unable to ignore the imperial past of the institution and outdated methods used to acquire the works, which are still held in the museum. But extremely high profile items such as the Rosetta Stone and Elgin Marbles should be returned because it would be nice. In response to the Quai Branly Museum's return of 26 items, British Museum Director Hartwig Fischer told The New York Times that "the collections have to be preserved as whole." The pressure to return them, however, will likely continue State-funded institutions such as the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum are under pressure to return items, but claim they are prohibited by UK legislation. 7. The British Museum Act, a law from 1963, prevents the museum in London from doing the same. Today it adorns Queen Elizabeth's crown. The sculptor, who was one of the museum's trustees from 2007 to 2015, also called for the institution to detach from its "obsession with the classical world." The British National Museum has yet to return artifacts to their rightful owners, a decision upheld by two Acts by the Parliament of the United Kingdom which essentially ban permanent repatriation - or at least make it extremely difficult. 8. The British Museum should return the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece, Sir Antony Gormley said during an interview with British Archaeology magazine. As a compromise, they are willing to lend certain artifacts to their countries of origin for time-limited exhibitions; for example, Nigeria can borrow some of the Benin Bronzes for its new Benin Royal Museum. Her work has appeared in Salon, The Nation, Rethinking Russia, teleSUR . The Horniman Museum and Gardens agreed to hand over the artifacts, including . In the 19th century, thousands of artifacts were looted from Beijing during the Boxer Rebellion. In Nov. 2010, Egyptian antiquities expert Zahi Hawass told NPR that he was fighting to have the Rosetta Stone returned to Egypt from the British Museum. In this case, the squeaky wheels are right. 9. The Rosetta Stone, long. The British Museum has come under renewed pressure to return some 900 artefacts from the former Kingdom of Benin to Nigeria. This has put pressure on the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford and the British Museum to return stolen artifacts. Some 46% of Brits might agree, saying that looted artefacts remain more a part of their country of origin's history than they are a part of British . Returning looted artifacts will finally restore heritage to the brilliant cultures that made them In partnership with Written by Mark Horton Mark Horton is a professor of archeology at the. Museums like the British Museum have argued that they not only promote scientific research on these objects, but having them in . No less than 90% of African cultural property resides in European museums, according to a report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has decided that much of it must be returned.. His comments were made after the. Imperial treasures, China. According to the Times, organizers of a festival in Lagos reached out to the British Museum and asked if they could borrow a 16th-century ceremonial mask for the duration of the event, but the . Should the British Museum return the Rosetta Stone to Egypt? I think this is an unpopular opinion because this recent postgot 22k upvotes, and I've seen the same sentiment echoed on reddit often before. The law does set out limited exceptions (such as if the object is a duplicate), but returning the loot of empire is not one of them. However, others, like the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum, claim they cannot return historical artifacts, either because of the Museums Act or because keeping the objects. One museum, the Victoria and Albert . Should the British Museum return items? 3. (British ambassador to Greece, 1993-96), Oxford. Several museums in the U.K. have loaned parts of their collections to museums in their country of . The argument has garnered more attention . A British museum will return 72 artifacts to the Nigerian government that were forcibly taken over a hundred years ago. Why should stolen artifacts not be returned? They took several royal treasures including a three-tiered gold crown of Abud. 2 min read A new movement is afoot to return one of history's most important objects to its home. The museum holds one of the world's largest collection of bronzes with around 700 pieces Trustees of the Bristish Museum Details about which pieces will be returned and how many are yet to be. 6. Credit: Eric Pouhier, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 /Wikipedia. Claims of the British Empire. The campaign coincides with the 200th anniversary of the deciphering of the Rosetta stone, which opened the door to the emergence of Egyptology.. . Among the British Museum's contested artifacts are the Parthenon Marbles, Moai, human remains, and several others. According to a recent study called "Museums as Economic Engines" by American Alliance of Museums, museums provide 726,000 jobs and contribute $50 billion to the US economy each year and $12 billion in tax revenue. The law does set out limited exceptions (such as if the object is a duplicate), but returning the loot of empire is not one of them. The British Museum in London, which houses one of the biggest permanent collections of world art and artifacts, certainly seems to think so. 8. The BCRPM says that using Freedom of Information provisions, it has been . However, the British Museum has historically refused to do so. Still, there is precedent for governments relaxing such restrictions. Still, there is precedent for governments relaxing such restrictions. The British Museum has the largest collection of Egyptian artefacts outside of Egypt [Getty] Throngs of tourists jostle for place outside the vast chamber that is the Egyptian sculpture gallery at the British Museum, eagerly elbowing others out of the way to be first through the doors at 10am on Friday morning. The British museum has a proven track record of expertly preserving ancient artifacts. Called Project Mosul, it aims to restore the objects to existence by reconstructing them in 3D based on photographs of the artefacts. Has the British Museum repatriated anything? The big question: should museums return their treasures? We can't change the past, but we can make a decision about what we do now and how they can be given back. Zimbio. Today institutions such as the British Museum find themselves at an impasse, struggling to come to terms with their colonial legacy, taking some steps to return artefacts but not wanting to. Why does the British Museum not return artifacts? You should return the artifacts to their own native country. A few months before Hirut's visit to the U.K., the governor of Easter Island, the Chilean territory, gave an emotional press conference on the steps of the British Museum asking for the return . Why do museums not return artifacts? As nations become able to make a case for the return of artifacts we need to listen. The next month, in the southern French city of Marseille, Mr. Diyabanza seized an artifact from the Museum of African, Oceanic and Native American Arts in another live-streamed protest, before . Answer (1 of 17): Most of the stuff in the British Museum was not "stolen" but either found or bought. In the UK, the 'Elgin Marbles' debate between the UK and Greece dominated much of the 20th-century discussion of this topic. In response to the Quai Branly Museum's return of 26 items, British Museum. The British Museum said in July 2019 that it was working to appraise and return various looted ancient artifacts from Iraq and Afghanistan that had been seized in Britain. As one of the largest repositories of priceless artifacts in the world, the British Museum is both beloved for its work in preserving these treasures of the . And late last year, a report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron called for museums in France to return artworks removed from African nations during the country's own colonial period. 4. The stone was discovered in Egypt by a French officer in 1799 and acquired by the British when they defeated the French in 1801, who transferred it to the British Museum in London in 1802. Quora User Amateur but enthusiastic student of history. The calls follow the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York announcing it would be returning two brass plaques that were among hundreds of items looted by British soldiers in 1897. As Europe Returns Artifacts, Britain Stays Silent The Parthenon Marbles in London are likely the world's most famous disputed museum items. Over 100,000 Greek artifacts are stored underground in the vaults of the British Museum, the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM) revealed over the weekend. In May, the German Historical Museum in Berlin announced that it was returning a 15th-century artefact known as the Stone Cross to Namibia. About 23,000 objects made their way to the British Museum where they are now housed. 10 . After all, the gesture could be used as an attempt to make amends for years of colonization and control. artifacts in it's museums, so they definitely should be returned. The British Museum Act, a law from 1963, prevents the museum in London from doing the same. A common argument for the repatriation of artefacts is that they are best understood and appreciated it their original historical and cultural context. A 4,250-year-old gold ewer from modern-day Turkey on long-term loan by a private collector at London's Victoria and Albert Museum was returned to Ankara after researchers found it was likely . The law does set out limited exceptions (such as if the object is a duplicate), but returning the loot of empire is not one of them. 5. The British Museum houses the Rosetta Stone, which they report was found in Egypt by Napoleonic troops during a conquest in 1799, as well as the Parthenon Marbles that Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin, took from Greece in the early 1800s when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Why the British Museum will not return their stolen artefacts. Yet the British government says the sculptures'. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe's museums serve a nuanced purpose and. Should the British Museum return artifacts? In 1868, Britain captured the Abyssinian Empire, Magdala, which is now Ethiopia. The British Museum Act, a law from 1963, prevents the museum in London from doing the same. Should museums return their colonial artefacts? Returning the artifacts to the place where they were manufactured and utilised should honour that connection. Forget reparations, the least it can do is return India stolen artifacts like the coin or one of the most precious diamonds in the world. . But there has been ongoing pressure in recent years for the British Museum to return artefacts taken from countries such as India, Egypt and Nigeria in the days of the Empire. In October 2021 the British Museum received a written request for the return of 'Nigerian antiquities' from the Federal Ministry . My first reason why the Rosetta Stone should go back to Egypt is because the British Museum already has 8 million artifacts and objects and only 80,000 can be seen. "Fundamentally, It's A Question Of Empathy": Why Britain Needs To Return Its Colonial Artefacts As statues topple across the country, the UK is forced to look anew at its past, while cultural institutions confront where and to whom their collections truly belong. A spokeswoman for the British Museum, which has around 80 Maqdala artifacts in its collections, tells Codrea-Rado that the institution would be willing to consider any loan requests from Ethiopia . Undoubtedly, there is a debt to be paid by the West to its former colonies, and the restitution of cultural artefacts can help to reduce it. British Prime MinisterPM David Cameron recently faced demands from Chinese state-run media and internet users to return of 23,000 priceless artifacts looted . Regardless, Britain has a rich history and doesn't need Egyptian, Greek, etc. of the Elgin marbles or the Rosetta Stone will open the "flood-gates" for the return of hundreds if not thousands of artifacts. Several British universities have returned Empire-plundered items to their countries of origin but state-funded institutions, including the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museumdeveloped to showcase the wonders of Empireclaim it is prohibited under government legislation for them to return artifacts.Sep 2, 2021 How did the Blitz work? Simon Jenkins argues that President Emmanuel Macron is right to demand the historic objects taken from Africa, Asia and South America . In 2007, Ethiopia claimed all artifacts taken during the siege should be returned, but Britain refused to return them. The British Museum is under no obligation to return anything. Hatrene statues seen destroyed at 0:08, 2:50 and 3:11 in the. The Rosetta stone is a black granite stele (slab) dating . Still, there is precedent for governments relaxing such restrictions. Western museums should return looted artifacts to where they belong is an Irish freelance writer based in Dublin. China claims the artifacts were taken from Beijing's Old Summer Palace when it was burned and looted by British troops 150 years ago. Some of the Benin bronzes at the British Museum in London. By Zing Tsjeng 10 June 2020 Richard Baker The first collection was made up of 71,000 . In contrast, the British Museum has specifically said that it has no plans to repatriate stolen artifacts. Why is everything in the British Museum stolen? There is a difference between right and nice. First of all, the artifacts are . They have a one-of-a-kind connection to the place where they were made and are an important component of the region's cultural past. The Rosetta stone has been the subject of demands by the Egyptian government but remains in London. Still, there is precedent for governments relaxing such restrictions. It is also necessary for the West to follow international law, and there should be a clear presumption that artefacts acquired directly as loot, plunder and the spoils of war should be returned. The British Museum is full of experts who can not only keep these artifacts preserved in good condition, but learn from them as well. Why does the British Museum not return artifacts? Many more people will see artifacts in the British Museum, which has 5.9 million visitors annually, then would see them in India or Egypt. . On page 7 it states, "When the British Museum first opened, it had a small collection of art but it has since grown to a vast amount. Vote up the artifacts you think the British Museum should return as soon as possible. The British Museum collection only grew to its current size following the acquisition of major private collections, such as that of Harry Beasley in 1944, William Oldman in 1949 and Sir Henry Wellcome in 1954. . The British Museum Act of 1963 prohibits the National Museum from disposing of its artifacts unless . Oliver Miles. Some of the countries these artifacts come from cannot claim the same. Now countries that didn't exist 300. The law does set out limited exceptions (such as if the object is a duplicate), but returning the loot of empire is not one of them. June 5, 2018 | Grand Ronde, Ore. Tribal artifacts that have been hidden away in the archives of the British Museum in London for nearly 120 years are being returned to a Native American tribe for . Museums are great sources of cultural, historical and educational heritage, attracting 850 million visits total worldwide each year. Sir Hans Sloane collected items of natural history in the field, and he bought his cameos, books, prints, coins, medals, drawings and so on from their owners. The artifacts should return to their countries of origin as their final destiny. The Tower of London, home to the British crown jewels, isn't the only UK edifice with controversial valuables taken from elsewhere, including the Kohinoor diamond from India (the 105.6-carat gem is also claimed by Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan). A group of Egyptian archaeologists launched in mid-September a public campaign to reclaim the Rosetta stone from the British Museum, which it acquired under the Treaty of Alexandria in 1801. This diamond was mined at the cooler mine in. Yet the British Museum, with the largest collection of all (about 900 objects, of which some 100 are on permanent display), is holding out, even if the museum suggests it is amenable to the . 7 Magdala Ethiopian Treasures. French President Emmanuel Macron commissioned a report that recommended returning many of the 90,000 artifacts from sub-Saharan Africa housed in his country's museums. It's also located in a safe, politically stable country (Brexit notwithstanding). The British Museum Act, a law from 1963, prevents the museum in London from doing the same. The purchase was deemed to be extremely immoral and steps were taken to reach out to the relevant Nigerian authorities to return the bronze with no conditions. Here are the key. For instance, the British Museum is refusing to return 700 of the Benin Bronzes to Nigeria despite repeated requests by the Nigerian government. Why does the British Museum not return artifacts? In contrast, the British Museum has specifically said that it has no plans to repatriate stolen artifacts. Should museums return artifacts debate? 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