Illicit Antiquities: The Theft of Culture and the Extinction of Archaeology

321 Pages·2001·2.98 MB·English

by  Neil Brodie

RUNNING HEAD I
ILLICIT ANTIQUITIES
The One World Archaeology (OWA) series stems from conferences organ-
ized by the World Archaeological Congress (WAC), an international non-
profit making organization, which provides a forum of debate for anyone
who is genuinely interested in or has a concern for the past. All editors and
contributors to the OWA series waive any fees that they might normally
receive from a publisher. Instead, all royalties from the series are received
by the World Archaeological Congress Charitable Company to help the
wider work of the World Archaeological Congress. The sale of OWA volumes
provides the means for less advantaged colleagues to attend World Arch-
aeological Congress conferences, thereby enabling them to contribute to the
development of the academic debate surrounding the study of the past.
The World Archaeological Congress would like to take this opportunity
to thank all editors and contributors for helping the development of world
archaeology in this way.
ONE WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY
Series Editor: (Volumes 1–37): Peter J. Ucko
Academic Series Editors (Volume 38 onwards): Martin Hall and Julian Thomas
Executive Series Editor (Volume 38 onwards): Peter Stone
1.What is an Animal?, T. Ingold (ed.) 24.Social Construction of the Past: Representation
2.The Walking Larder: Patterns of as power, G.C. Bond and A. Gilliam (eds)
domestication, pastoralism and predation, 25.The Presented Past: Heritage, museums
J. Clutton-Brock and education, P.G. Stone and
3.Domination and Resistance, D. Miller, B.L. Molyneaux (eds)
M.J. Rowlands and C. Tilley (eds) 26.Time, Process and Structural Transformation in
4.State and Society: The emergence and Archaeology, S.E. van der Leeuw and
development of social hierarchy and political J. McGlade (eds)
centralization, J. Gledhill, B. Bender and 27.Archaeology and Language I: Theoretical and
M.T. Larsen (eds) methodological orientations, R. Blench and
5.Who Needs the Past? Indigenous values and M. Spriggs (eds)
archaeology, R. Layton (ed.) 28.Early Human Behaviour in the Global
6.The Meaning of Things: Material culture and Context, M. Petraglia and R. Korisettar
symbolic expression, I. Hodder (ed.) (eds)
7.Animals into Art, H. Morphy (ed.) 29.Archaeology and Language II: Archaeological
8.Conflict in the Archaeology of Living data and linguistic hypotheses, R. Blench
Traditions, R. Layton (ed.) and M. Spriggs (eds)
9.Archaeological Heritage Management in the 30.Archaeology and Anthropology of Landscape:
Modern World, H.F. Cleere (ed.) Shaping your landscape, P.J. Ucko and
10.Archaeological Approaches to Cultural R. Layton (eds)
Identity, S.J. Shennan (ed.)
31.The Prehistory of Food: Appetites for Change,
11.Centre and Periphery: Comparative
C. Gosden and J.G. Hather (eds)
studies in archaeology, T.C. Champion (ed.)
32.Historical Archaeology: Back from the edge,
12.The Politics of the Past, P. Gathercole and
P.P.A. Funari, M. Hall and S. Jones (eds)
D. Lowenthal (eds)
33.Cultural Resource Management in
13.Foraging and Farming: The evolution of plant
Contemporary Society: Perspectives on
exploitation, D.R. Harris and
managing and presenting the past, F.P.
G.C. Hillman (eds)
MacManamon and A. Hatton (eds)
14.What’s New? A closer look at the process
34.Archaeology and Language III: Artefacts,
of innovation, S.E. van der Leeuw and
languages and texts, R. Blench and M.
R. Torrence (eds)
Spriggs (eds)
15.Hunters of the Recent Past, L.B. Davis and
35.Archaeology and Language IV: Language
B.O.K. Reeves (eds)
change and cultural transformation,
16.Signifying Animals: Human meaning in the
R. Blench and M. Spriggs (eds)
natural world, R.G. Willis (ed.)
36.The Constructed Past: Experimental
17.The Excluded Past: Archaeology in education,
archaeology, education and the public,
P.G. Stone and R. MacKenzie (eds)
P.G. Stone and P. Planel (eds)
18.From the Baltic to the Black Sea: Studies in
medieval archaeology, D. Austin and 37.Time and Archaeology, T. Murray (ed.)
L. Alcock (eds) 38.The Archaeology of Difference: Negotiating
19.The Origins of Human Behaviour, cross-cultural engagements in Oceania,
R.A. Foley (ed.) R. Torrence and A. Clarke (eds)
20.The Archaeology of Africa: Food, metals and 39.The Archaeology of Drylands: Living at the
towns, T. Shaw, P. Sinclair, B. Andah and margin, G. Barker and D. Gilbertson (eds)
A. Okpoko (eds) 40.Madness, Disability &Social Exclusion:
21.Archaeology and the Information Age: The archaeology & anthropology of ‘difference’,
A global perspective, P. Reilly and J. Hubert (ed.)
S. Rahtz (eds) 41.Destruction and Conservation of Cultural
22.Tropical Archaeobotany: Applications and Property, R.L. Layton, P.G. Stone and
developments, J.G. Hather (ed.) J. Thomas (eds)
23.Sacred, Sites, Sacred Places, D.L. 42.Illicit Antiquities: The theft of culture and the
Carmichael, J. Hubert, B. Reeves and extinction of archaeology, N. Brodie and K.
A. Schanche (eds) Walker Tubb (eds)
ILLICIT ANTIQUITIES
The theft of culture and the
extinction of archaeology
Edited by
Neil Brodie and Kathryn Walker Tubb
U T LE
O D
R G
E
• •
Taylor&Francis Group
London and New York
First published 2002 by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.
Selection and editorial matter © 2002, Neil Brodie and
Kathryn Walker Tubb; individual chapters
© 2002 the contributors
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the
British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Illicit antiquities: the theft of culture and the extinction of
archaeology/edited by Neil Brodie and Kathryn Walker Tubb.
p. cm. – (One world archaeology; 42)
Papers given at a session of the WAC4 held in Cape Town,
South Africa. Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Antiquities—Collection and preservation—Congresses.
2. Antiquities—Collection and preservation—Moral and ethical
aspects—Congresses. 3. Historical sites—Conservation and
restoration—Congresses. 4. Historic sites—Conservation and
restoration—moral and ethical aspects—Congresses. 5.
Cultural property—Protection—Congresses. 6. Cultural
property—Protection (International law)—Congresses.
7. Archaeological thefts—Congresses.
I. Brodie, Neil. II. Tubb, Kathryn Walker. III. Series.
CC135.I36 2001
363.6′9—dc21 2001019938
ISBN 0-203-16546-2 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-25990-4 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0–415–23388–7 (Print Edition)
Contents
List of illustrations vii
List of contributors ix
Series editors’ foreword x
Preface and acknowledgements xi
Introduction 1
Neil Brodie
1 Greek vases for sale: some statistical evidence 23
Vinnie Nørskov
2 Walking a fine line: promoting the past without selling it 38
Paula Lazrus
3 The concept of cultural protection in times of armed conflict: from
the crusades to the new millennium 43
Patrick J. Boylan
4 Law and the underwater cultural heritage: a question of
balancing interests 109
Sarah Dromgoole
5 Negotiating the future of the underwater cultural heritage 137
Patrick J. O’Keefe
6 Perceptions of marine artefact conservation and their relationship
to destruction and theft 162
Amanda Sutherland
7 Metal detecting in Britain: catastrophe or compromise? 179
Peter V. Addyman and Neil Brodie
8 Britannia waives the rules? The licensing of archaeological material
for export from the UK 185
Neil Brodie
vi CONTENTS
9 Mexico’s archaeological heritage: a convergence and confrontation
of interests 205
Enrique Nalda
10 What’s going on around the corner? Illegal trade of art and
antiquities in Argentina 228
Daniel Schávelzon
11 Looting graves/buying and selling artefacts: facing reality in the US 235
Hester A. Davis
12 Reducing incentives for illicit trade in antiquities: the US
implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention 241
Susan Keech McIntosh
13 The rape of Mali’s only resource 250
Téréba Togola
14 Dealing with the dealers and tomb robbers: the realities of the
archaeology of the Ghor es-Safi in Jordan 257
Konstantinos D. Politis
15 Plunder of cultural and art treasures – the Indian experience 268
S.K. Pachauri
16 Point, counterpoint 280
Kathryn Walker Tubb
Index 301
Illustrations
FIGURES
1.1 Total number of vases offered for sale, 1954–98 25
1.2 Number of vases offered for sale 1954–98 related to the
number of catalogues used in the analysis 26
1.3 Percentage of vases offered on the market more than once,
1963–98 26
1.4 Provenance of vases offered on the market, 1954–98 27
1.5 Provenance of vases offered on the market, 1989–98 28
1.6 Distribution of five selected groups of vases, 1954–98
(total numbers) 29
1.7 Distribution of five selected groups of vases, 1954–98
(percentage) 30
1.8 Relationship between the number of Attic black-figure
and Attic red-figure vases, 1954–98 31
1.9 The acquisitions of eight museums compared with the
number of vases offered for sale on the market, divided
into gifts and purchases 32
1.10 Acquisitions of Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology,
1945–94 33
8.1 Export licensing requirements for archaeological material
not of UK origin and not of limited interest 195
9.1 Looters’ trench in one of the buildings of Plaza Yaxná in
Kohunlich 216
9.2 Looters’ trench in one of the buildings of a site in the south
of Quintana Roo, Mexico 218
9.3 Monochrome ceramic left by looters next to a Maya tomb
in a site in the south of Quintana Roo 219
9.4 Teotihuacán. Entrance leading to the Pyramid of the Sun,
lined up with stores selling souvenirs to the tourists 220
9.5 Teotihuacán. Entrance leading to the Quetzalpapalotl palace,
lined with stores selling souvenirs to the tourists 221
viii ILLUSTRATIONS
9.6 Entrance to the site of Tulum, lined with stores selling
souvenirs to tourists 222
9.7 Photo of Tulum taken towards its entrance 222
11.1 A ‘pothunter’ in north-east Arkansas uses a metal probe to
locate more, 1970 236
11.2 A ‘pothunter’ at work in north-east Arkansas, 1970 237
11.3 A headpot from the late prehistoric Bradley site in north-east
Arkansas 238
12.1 At least 200 looters dug at this site near Thial between
September 1989 and April 1990 244
12.2 Hired by an antiquities dealer from Mopti, looters hack
away at ancient settlements 35 miles north-west of Jenne 247
14.1 Bulldozed remains of the medieval and Byzantine buildings
of the ancient city of Zoar 259
14.2 The cemetery of an-Naq‘ showing looted graves 260
14.3 Villagers looting an-Naq‘ 260
14.4 Bracelets and glass vessels cushioned in a shell-suit jacket
during looting 261
14.5 Looted small finds offered for sale through the author’s
car window 261
14.6 Aerial photograph showing the cemetery of an-Naq‘ in
1992 before the onset of large-scale looting 265
14.7 Aerial photograph showing the cemetery of an-Naq‘ in
1999. The largely undisturbed surface of 1992 is pockmarked
by looted graves 266
TABLES
8.1 Total value in thousands of pounds of exports of cultural
material 191
8.2 Licences granted for archaeological material of UK origin.
The bar indicates the introduction of the EC licence in
1993 193
8.3 Number of lots for sale by auction requiring a licence for
export 196
8.4 Total number of cultural objects (in the UK for less than
50 years) licensed for export 196
8.5 Value in thousands of pounds of cultural material licensed
(DCMS) and exported (DTI) 198
8.6 Annual value of exports from the UK to the US of SITC
category 896.50 199
Contributors
Peter V. Addyman, York Archaeological Trust, Cromwell House, 13
Ogleforth, York, YO1 7FG, UK.
Patrick J. Boylan, Department of Arts Policy and Management, City
University, Frobisher Crescent, London EC2, UK.
Neil Brodie, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Downing
Street, Cambridge, CB2 3ER, UK.
Hester A. Davis, Arkansas Archaeological Survey, Box 1249, Fayetteville,
AR 72702, USA.
Sarah Dromgoole, Faculty of Law, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK.
Paula Lazrus, Social Sciences, New School University, New York, NY
10003, USA.
Susan Keech McIntosh, Department of Anthropology, Rice University,
6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005–1892, USA.
Enrique Nalda, Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia Mexico,
Cordoba 45, Colonia Roma, Mexico D.F.
Vinnie Nørskov, Department of Classical Archaeology, University of Aarhus,
DK-8000, Aarhus, Denmark.
Patrick J. O’Keefe, 6 Villa des Entrepreneurs, 75015 Paris, France.
S.K. Pachauri, Ministry of Home Affairs, Vigyan Bhawan Annexe, New
Delhi 110 011, India.
Konstantinos D. Politis, Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities, British
Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, UK.
Daniel Schávelzon, Centro de Arqueologia Urbana, Universidad de Buenos
Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Amanda Sutherland, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Headquarters,
Middlemoor, Exeter, EX4 7HQ, UK.
Téréba Togola, Directeur National des Arts et de la Culture, BP 91,
Bamako, Mali.
Kathryn Walker Tubb, Institute of Archaeology, 31–34 Gordon Square,
London, WC1H 0PY, UK.