"The Big Business in Looted Art,"

More evidence, if any were needed, that establishment media is not really interested in hearing from all sides in the cultural heritage debate or questioning the archaeological lobby's narrative that "collectors are the problem."

Read more here.

Painted Linen from Egypt

Goddess Euthenia, consort of the Nile god, in a garden.
Painting on linen. 1stC AD Roman Egypt

How much have the Olympics really changed since ancient times?

How much have the Olympics really changed since ancient times?

OTD Thermopolae

One of the Spartans at Thermopylae said, "The enemy are near to us." King Leonidas replied, "Then we also are near to them." Photo by D Stamatakos of Mike Rizello's brilliant statuary which recreated the Spartan and Persian warriors fighting during the iconic 480 BC, Battle of Thermopylae.

Coins Do NOT Come from Archeological Sites

Respected numismatic dealer Dave Welsh has a lot of experience with officials who write the MOUs. He points out on the Ancient Artifacts forum the fallacy of including coins on those lists:

Import restrictions on coins entering the USA have absolutely no verifiable effect upon the looting you are describing. You've evidently uncritically accepted the archaeology lobby's mantra "collecting = looting." There is absolutely no verifiable evidence that this is true. Nor is there any evidence that is really even plausible. This assertion is neither proven, nor provable, from a scientific perspective. If it were true, then coins would be the least offensive or dangerous type of artifact because it isn't economically sensible to go prospecting for coins in the neighborhood of inhabited areas. Robert Kokotailio had many enlightening things to say about that in a recent message on this subject. When it comes to encouraging looting, ceramics collectors such as yourself and Kyri are at much higher risk of that than is a coin collector, because the objects you collect are typically found in inhabited areas, and also in tombs. Coin hoards, the source of the well preserved coins collectors end up acquiring, are almost never found in areas that are genuine archaeological sites. They were "buried treasure," deliberately located in out of the way places where no one would be likely to accidentally discover them. Coin discoveries in inhabited areas are nearly always "ground finds" that are in poor and usually uncollectible condition. Looters do find coins of this sort, but they aren't what the looters are really looking for. They pick them up anyway because they do have some value, even as scrap metal. If the 1983 CCPIA were being evenhandedly and fairly administered, the USA would not have accepted requests from foreign governments to include coins on the Restricted Lists of these MOUs. Coins were not included prior to 2006, for the reasons noted above. Their inclusion since then has been a matter of uncritical administrative acceptance of the archaeology lobby's recommendations, against the recommendations of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee, whose membership includes representatives of all interested parties and which is well structured to sift all the available information and draw sensible conclusions.

The First Pyramid?

A discovery of a 3,000-year-old pyramid-shaped mausoleum in Kazakhstan is claimed to be the world's first pyramid.  It's made from stone, earth and fortified by slabs in the outer side. While the exact age of the structure is uncertain, it likely was built during the late Bronze Age, more than 3,000 years ago.

US Still Funding Brutal El-Sissi Dictatorship In Egypt

'3 Years After Brutal Rabaa Al-Adaweya Square Massacre, US Still Funding El-Sissi Dictatorship In Egypt' Mintpress News

Three years ago this week, Egyptian forces opened fire on a sit-in, killing hundreds of supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi. At least 817 people died in the Aug. 14, 2013 attack on Rabaah Al-Adawiya Square, where protesters — mostly supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood — had gathered after the coup. [...] The sit-in was organized in opposition to the July 2013 coup which replaced the democratically-elected Morsi government with one led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who led the Egyptian military under the previous dictator, Hosni Mubarak. Many estimates suggest the death toll could be far higher than 817. An HRW report issued in August 2014 found that at least 1,150 protesters died in July and August, with at least 1,000 of those deaths occurring as a result of the Rabaah Al-Adawiya Square massacre. [...] Despite the abrupt transfer of power and violent suppression of the opposition, the White House was reluctant to call the takeover a coup, and the United States continues to support the el-Sissi government, despite token reductions in military aid after the coup. At $1.3 billion annually, Egypt is second only to Israel in terms of U.S. military aid.

Also the government insists on repatriating artefacts seized from collectors and dealers to Egypt's brutal military dictatorship. This must stop now.

What Collectors are up Against

This text by a highly respected numismatic broker illustrates why we need to stop these MOUs right now, they make it impossible to collect anything.

Tue Aug 16, 2016 7:35 pm (PDT) . Posted by: "ROBERT KOKOTAILO" calgarycoins You have hit the nail on the head with respect to the USA system. There are complexities few people understand.

First there is the Law, which is the US cultural property act. Then there are the MOU's which are not laws but rather agreements between countries as to how restrictions will be applied. Then there are the directions the US state department gives to US customs officials as to how to apply things. There are conflicts in these that are the focus of what ACCG has been fighting. For example:

1) The actual USA cultural property law states that the country of origin for any object is "country of discovery", which could mean several things including where it was excavated, or discovered in an old collection. The state department has instructed customs officials to assume country of origin is the "country of manufacture", which is complete different than"country of discovery". Thus the law says a South Italian object "discovered" in France is a French cultural property item and subject to any French export regulations. The MOU system and State Department instructions say the same object is subject to Italy export restrictions and if seized in US customs would be returned to Italy, not France.

2) Provenance requirements are also in conflict. The actual US law says any of the following are valid forms of provenance for import into the US.

A) Documentation such as a catalogue listing or receipt that shows the items was outside of the country or origin prior to the MOU.
B) A declaration from the seller that he has reason to believe the object was outside of the country prior to the MOU, which must be in writing and signed, stating his reasons for such, but need not be under oath.
C) A declaration by the importer that he has reason to believe the object was out of the country of origin prior to the MOU, stating his reasons but his declaration must be given under oath and if you think lying under oath to a US legal official is to be taken lightly, you are in for a shock when you end up in prison.

What the state department has instructed customs officials to accept is photographic evidence only, such as a picture of the object in a printed catalogue that was clearly printed prior to the MOU passing and thus cannot be falsified. They are not supposed to accept any statement by sell or imported even under oath. They are not supposed to accept receipts without or without photographs showing the item was purchased before the MOU as such documents are easily falsified. You would think if the law says something is acceptable in plain English, forcing US customs to accept it would be simple. You would be wrong.

ACCG has been fighting them on these conflicts, without success, for years. They even looked at taking it to the US supreme court, but could not get them to even look at the case (not important enough for their busy schedule). But even if they did it can cost hundred's of thousand dollars to take a case to the Supreme court, an amount that would be a challenge although it might be raised if one could get on the docket. One list member said he had documentation for all of his objects and would not be afraid to being them to the US. I don't doubt he can meet the standard as set out by the actual law. I wonder if he can meet the standard as set out the MOU's and State Department instructions. Robert Kokotailo

Control gone Mad: The Need for Collector's Voice of Sanity

Ed Snible has astutely noticed some problems with the Department of State's reasoning over coins from Syria:

The metal category says "Some major mints for coinage that circulated in Syria in various periods include ... Antioch ..." Antioch is an interesting case, because it was part of ancient but not modern Syria. It's now Antakya, Turkey. Should the Syrian civil war trigger import restrictions on coins minted outside modern Syria? If US Customs seizes a coin minted in Roman Syria should it be repatriated to Turkey or to Syria?

Should a coin found in Turkey and from a mint now in Turkey be stopped on the US borders and then sent "back" (sic) to the Assad regime - even if exported by a dealer in Turkey? This is simple madness. Vote now to stop the MOUs, make the voice of collectors heard.

Turkey cooperates with Islamic terror groups

German government gives confidential briefing claiming Turkey cooperates with Islamic terror groups:

Turkey has worked with Islamist groups and has supported militant organizations in the Middle East for years, according to the German government, state broadcaster ARD reported Tuesday.
 [...] The ministry added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has actively supported cooperation with Islamist and terrorist organizations, such as Hamas. “The many expressions of solidarity and support actions for the Egyptian MB [Muslim Brotherhood], Hamas and the armed Islamist opposition groups in Syria by the ruling AK Party and President Erdoğan emphasize the ideological affinity with the Muslim Brotherhood,” the ministry statement said.

All the more reason why western museums should not repatriate material to Turkey.

Beware of Fake Coins of Cleopatra

The discussion of the Cyprus MOU renewal on one artifacts forum is proving interesting. This from Robert Kokotailo across the border in Calgary:

The coins being offered as small bronzes of Cleopatra from Cyprus are from Cyprus but are not cleopatra VII. They are much earlier around the time of Ptolemy III. They were rare but a large group of them came into the hands of one person who wrote a book attempting to reattribute them to Cleopatra to increase their value. Odd that at the Ana coin show last week this topic came up. Few if any knowledgable numismatists accept his reattribution. In that discussion some one said the hoard was about 6000 examples. I cannot confirm that number, but it was large. That is why they are no longer rare.

Caveat emptor.

Let's Put a Stop to This MOU

The United States Department of State has proposed a renewal of its current Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Cyprus for another five (5) years. Once again, individuals will be afforded an opportunity to comment on whether the MOU should be extended. It is clear that the MOU is not working to achieve the principles proposed by its governing legislation. There is no evidence to support the position that the current MOU has deterred illegal excavation in Cyprus, nor have there been any reports of seizures at US borders of any culturally significant material thought to have been illegally excavated in Cyprus in recent years. Furthermore, its interpretation by U.S. federal authorities often prevents the legal importation of common artifacts freely traded on the legitimate commercial market.

Syrian Import Restrictions Imposed

US Customs has published a very extensive list of "Syrian" artifacts now restricted pursuant to the "Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act."  Coin collectors should special take note that that the "designated list" includes all coins minted and circulated in Syria through the Ottoman period.

Read more here.

Collectors' Voices Need to be Heard Once Again!

Collectors' Voices Need to be Heard Once Again! The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and its Cultural Heritage Center have announced a comment period for a proposed extension of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cyprus. Readers will know that the Cyprus MOU was the beginning of the pestilential practice of including ancient coins in the Restricted List. Artifacts on that List may not be imported into the USA, unless accompanied by a valid export permit from the nation with whom the MOU was negotiated. Although the vast majority of public comments recorded have been squarely against import restrictions, the State Department and U.S. Customs have imposed import restrictions on coins anyway, most recently on ancient coins from Bulgaria. They should not be allowed to get away with this. Our silence would just allow the State Department bureaucrats and their allies in the archaeological establishment to claim that collectors have acquiesced to broad restrictions on their ability to import common ancient coins that are widely available worldwide. And, once they get that idea, there is no way to foresee what else they will attempt. Make your voice heard, opposing renewal of this pernicious and unfair agreement.

Coin found in England provides information on a previously unknown Viking ruler

The value of numismatic information:

This coin found in England provided information
 on a previously unknown Viking ruler

Shifting Sands Reveal Petroglyphs on a Hawaiian Beach

Shifting Sands Reveal Petroglyphs on a Hawaiian Beach

"The first written words started here" at Uruk, Iraq.

"The first written words started here" at Uruk, Iraq. 

Donald J. Trump Will Make America Great Again