BigPhil,
I am personally fed up with hearing Nana Mouskouri singing 'The White Rose of Athens' and going on about the 'Elgin Marbles' so will someone please just give them back to her!

Now Egyptian antiquities are something else, whilst I agree that artefacts that have been 'stolen' in the real sense of the word should be returned, a different point of view should be taken over 'legitimate' items. Most of these items now located in the world's museums were 'obtained' at a time when Egypt was under the rule of a foreign power and sold with the collusion of Egyptians. There was no such thing as Egyptology and the more enlightened countries, Britain, France & Germany to some extent were the instigators of this new phenomenon. In ancient times people like the Greek philosopher Herodotus were fascinated by this long dead culture, a culture that was old even in his day. The French under Napoleon Bonaparte resurrected the interest, during their invasion of Egypt and most of today's knowledge is based upon their studies. We the British kicked the French out of Egypt and in the process claimed a few choice bits like the 'Rosetta' stone. It was only this fierce competition between the French and us that led to Champollion translating the hieroglyphic texts. It would be fair to say that without all of the items on display in the world's museums there would not be the same interest in ancient Egypt. I well recall that it was seeing the strange animal headed gods in books and museums that led to my own life long fascination with the subject. I feel that all of these museums are the stimulation that people require in order to prime their interest in Egyptology. You will stand in front of some ancient artefact and let your mind run riot, how did they make that? What was it like to live then? Was it really as morbid as it seemed? If these things were not there for you to see, how would you ever become interested in the first place? Egypt has more antiquities than it can possibly display, or conserve. If for example Dr Hawas were to ask the French for the obelisk presently situated on the Plas de La Concorde, to be returned so as to complete the pair at the Luxor temple, or the beard of the Sphinx, then I would agree, as this has an asthetic value. I would not agree however if the obelisk or the Sphinxes beard was not being restored to their original location, but just placed in another museum in Egypt. But to ask for say the head of Neffertiti or the Rosetta Stone just because they originated in Egypt is unfair. If for example we had a plaster frieze needed to complete a particular tomb, then that is surely acceptable, but to ask for any single items in isolation is not. We cannot all keep harping back to another era and demanding that things be returned to the status quo. The Egyptian authorities are planning to build a large complex on the Giza plateau, they will need to fill this complex with as many desirable items as possible in order to attract tourists. Therefore it is in their interest to 'bring home' as many of the desirable items as is possible. I am sure that if we were to offer to return 'everything' from 'every' museum in the world, provided it was all 'displayed' properly, we would be turned down. The facts are that there are far to many antiquities to display than there are museums in the world to display them, take a look in the basement of the Cairo museum.

Tez.

hi Tez,
Agreed.

Me Too!

I disagree. Having seen what the relevant Egyptian authorities have done to some of the temples (dodgy concrete 'repair'), I think some of this stuff is safer in the British museam.

Ditto for the Elgin marbles, firstly, the other marbles that were left in situ have been destroyed by pollution, and secondly, the British actually has a receipt for them (I'm being flippant, but it is true).

A good well reasoned post Tez.

The Egyptian authorities are planning to build a large complex on the Giza plateau, they will need to fill this complex with as many desirable items as possible in order to attract tourists. Therefore it is in their interest to 'bring home' as many of the desirable items as is possible.

by Tez

This is the reason we hear so much about how the old Archaeologists "stole" Egypt's treasure

Without the old British Archaeologists half of what is in museums today would only just be being found as they poured money into Egypt to find it