The Threat Posed by Al-Qaeda Affiliates

Osama bin Laden casts long shadow, 5 years on: Infographic: Al-Qaeda affiliates

Surely the global cultural heritage needs to be protected from falling into the hands of such people?

Academic Bias on Antiquities Trade

Annoying report on archeologist Dr Donna Yates the expert aiming to make antiquities-collecting "socially unacceptable" (good luck with that, it's older than archeology).

 Randy Hixenbaugh observes:

Yates, who is teaching law enforcement officials in her courses at the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research has recently admitted that she wants to see the entire legal trade in ancient art simply go away. That seems a major conflict of interest for an academic. Her personal position is at best close-minded and naive, and at worst prejudicial against a perfectly legal and necessary sector of the art market.

Keeping Heritage in the Hands of the Public

The Egyptian public reclaim their past. This modern painting (left) was spotted in Tunis village, Fayoum by a British archeologist:

It is copied from a mummy portrait painted c. AD160 (right), now in the British Museum.

Epicurean Mosaic in Turkey

An ancient mosaic found in the southern province of Hatay, Turkey has a phrase written on it which has received some media attention recently, it reportedly read “Be cheerful, live your life”.

 Or does it? The experts cannot agree.

Swiss Free Port Closing?

 

The enemies of collecting have been rejoicing in the past few days because of a news item which claims the Geneva free port is losing its art-market customers: "Art Collectors Quit Scandal-Hit Geneva". Fortunately this appears to be more of their yellow journalism. The Geneva Freeport is NOT art losing customers after all ( Art Market Monitor).

Dionysis in Pakistan

Dionysian figure with wine-cup and goat's-head: Buddhist art found in Bazira, Pakistan , AD300?

A pat on the back, for an old friend.

A pat on the back, for an old friend.