The Parthenon Sculptures and Repatriation

Should the Elgin Marble be returned to Greece or stay in the British Museum? Who do ancient cultural artifacts belong to? Is it better to have some of the sculptures viewable in numerous museums throughout the world or together in one place? 

After reading about the Elgin Marbles, it seems apparent to me that the pieces should be returned to Greece. After being removed from the Parthenon without the permission of the Ottoman Empire, which occupied Greece at the time, the sculptures were brought over to the United Kingdom in the end of the 18th century and have been at the British Museum since 1816. The Greek government has pleaded that they be returned. Fortunately, the UK labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has vowed to return all the sculptures to Greece if he becomes the next prime minister. He has previously advocated for the return of the marble artifacts and describes them as stolen. 

The question of who owns cultural artifacts isn't easy answered. Each country and region has its own laws regarding the right to cultural property. Most of the laws have a set year established that draws the line between which objects belong to the state or country and which are essentially finders keepers. Recently, a lot of attention has been directed to the illegal transportation of so called "protected" artifacts. Although new laws restrict the movement of these artifacts, they are easy to steal and be sold illicitly in areas where there is corruption, conflict, and not much oversight. Smuggling of historical artifacts brings in enormous profits. A recent arrest in Italy of an international gang smuggled more that €40 million worth of artifacts to European collectors over the past couple decades and these are far from the only criminals profiting from this. I find it sad that people would prefer to make an illegal profit off of a historical object instead of possibly finding something revolutionary about it. What if it was the final piece of a puzzle historians have been trying to find? Nobody would ever know because that piece is gone. It's clear that international demand for antiquities is still high and the unfortunate reality is that both collectors and sellers are not always careful about making a legal paper trail for the artifacts.

As for if it is better to have some sculptures viewable in numerous museums, I think thats a great idea if they execute the process properly. I know at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science they have special featured exhibits where they bring in specific artifacts. I went and saw the Dead Sea Scrolls quite a few years ago and it was an amazing opportunity. The transport of antiquities and cultural objects is hardly new. So, if we apply that idea to the Elgin Marbles, I think it would be beneficial for the people who are unable to travel, to still see historical artifacts and learn about them while the ownership still belongs to Greece. 

References

Finders, But Not Keepers: The Controversies of Cultural Heritage and Ownership. (2020, January 24). Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://globalheritagefund.org/2018/08/21/finders-but-not-keepers-the-controversies-of-cultural-heritage-and-ownership/

Paul Cartledge in Opinion |, P BY Paul Cartledge, P, P, PAUL CARTLEDGE Paul Cartledge is the A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture Emeritus at the University of Cambridge., Cartledge, P., . . . Lucy Ives | 28 AUG 20. (n.d.). Pressured to Return the Elgin Marbles, Should the British Museum Finally Give Way? Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://www.frieze.com/article/pressured-return-elgin-marbles-should-british-museum-finally-give-way