Rome accused of fiddling as Pompeii crumbles

Collapsing walls at the ancient Roman city of Pompeii have raised fresh concerns about Italy’s efforts to maintain one of the world’s most treasured sites, preserved for 2,000 years but now crumbling from neglect. On Monday, site officials said part of a wall had collapsed on one of Pompeii’s major streets after weeks of heavy rains and wind. Plaster had also fallen off the wall of the ornately frescoed House of the Small Fountain. A series of collapses in Pompeii over the last month led Italian media to dub it a “Black November” for the ancient city, preserved under ash from a volcanic eruption in 79 A.D. and rediscovered in the 18th century, revealing a time capsule of daily life in Roman times. Read more.

This sort of thing is a recurring occurrence in all the cultural property retentionist countries of the developing world. They cannot cope with all the objects they obsessively hoard. This is clear proof that  artifacts (particularly those of the Classical past) would be better off sent out of the country for safekeeping. Vast numbers of artifacts could be freed from dusty museum stores where they are hidden away, seen by nobody, and sold on the open market to raise funds to help protect what remains. No doubt Collectors and Museums in the United States, Europe and the Gulf States will be willing to lend their support and help.