Syria: Media Disinformation

Cultural Property Observer, 'Renewed Media Disinformation Campaign Underway', Tuesday, February 17, 2015. The Committee on Cultural Policy has called attention to a renewed media disinformation campaign  on the fate of Syrian antiquities. Peter Tompa supposes that this

will be used to help justify the reintroduction of HR 5703, a flawed piece of legislation that would benefit the Assad regime and the archaeological lobby far more than it would "protect" Syrian cultural patrimony. No doubt any bill that calls for the repatriation of artifacts back to a dicataorship that purposefully destroys them, creates a new White House bureaucracy devoted to furthering the interests of a small group of connected insiders, and provides this same group with a funding source with no strings attached will heavily rely on the inflamatory claim that Western collectors support terrorism to avoid the hard questions about any such legislation that decision makers should ask.

Syrian Heritage Destruction, by Archeologists

British writer and publisher John Howland reveals the probable fate of hundreds of thousands of looted artifacts are stored in depots across Syria which have lost all contextual data surrounding them. Archeologists say such objects are "worthless", but as Mr Howland admonishes, they still have a certain monetary and intrinsic value. But some radicals suggest laying them on the ground and have a bulldozer run over them! That is simply heritage vandalism! Mr Howland is right when he points out: "Is it not a better option to welcome those artifacts onto the market where they will be preserved and cosseted in private collections and possibly museums?"

Syria Let Collectors Preserve the Artifacts

British writer and publisher John Howland has a suggestion about what to with the reported hundreds of thousands of looted artifacts  currently stored in depots across Syria. These artefacts were, it is said, looted by ISIS artifact procurement teams and thus have 'have lost all contextual data surrounding them'. Apparently the radical cultural bureaucrats and archeologists with an ax to grind against collectors suggest laying these precious artifacts on the ground and 'have a bulldozer run over them'. Collectors everywhere should oppose this sort of treatment and roundly condemn such callous heritage vandalism. Mr Howland has the wisest solution for artifacts in the hands of ISIS fanatics and to prevent them falling into the equally destructive hands of the archeology fanatics:

Is it not a better option to welcome those artifacts onto the market where they will be preserved and cosseted in private collections and possibly museums?

Syria, is this Preservation or Repatriation?

The UN Security Council approved a Russian resolution purporting to help cut into ISIS' funding by clamping down on sales of Syrian antiquities. Instead this will buttress Putin's friend, Assad and result in the repatriation of  undocumented objects that have been out of the country for years back to the exact same murderous regime that bombed the old city of Aleppo into oblivion, that has struck early Islamic sites and whose military is involved in looting in places like Apamea and Palmyra (Cultural Property Observer, 'Preservation or Repatriation?' Thursday, February 12, 2015). Will the archaeological lobby again use the tragedy to resurrect self-serving legislation that will enrich itself?  Or, will they follow the example of their Syrian, Dutch and U. Penn colleagues and seek to address the problem at the source?

 

Wayne Sayles Hounded

Wayne Sayles, indefatigable defender of collector rights has become inurred to sarcasm and ridicule through many years of being an archeoblogger target. It seems that the archeologists with an ax to grind over collecting do not like the truth being told and some of them get very nasty. Over the past few days one of them, whose name I will not dignify with the publicity, took offense at Mr Sayles pointing out the less savory parallels of archeological radicalism with other types and targeted the respected dealer on his blog, and blocked Mr Sayles from replying. Such are the methods of our opponents. In protest, Wayne Sayles published a text pointing out that "Truth is still important", Monday, February 09, 2015 - but announced:

I finally have had enough of the rancor and literal hatred that permeates the cultural property war online. I have tried every possible approach from entreaty to debate and cooperation to litigation. In the process, I've gotten older and more cynical but obviously not wiser. Long ago I should have ignored the archaeobloggers and trolls. Instead, I fell victim to them—wasting valuable time over pointless tit-for-tat, time than cannot be replaced. If I were the emperor, I would banish them all to Pandateria. But, I am not and this is not an internet war game. This is the last post that I will make with any mention of cultural property issues. I am removing all previous posts and starting a new day. The only posts on this blog henceforth will be about ancient coins themselves. My advocacy for private ownership and collecting of ancient coins has not abated, but my willingness to argue the case in this climate has. Everyone knows how I feel and that will not change—this blog will.

I think that is a great shame, but I think we can all look forward to what Mr Sayles has to say about the coins.

Another Pompeii wall collapses

Plants grow on collapsing wall at premier Italy site

Rain in Italy caused a wall in the ancient city of Pompeii to fall down (Rosie Scammel 'Pompeii wall collapses amid heavy rain', The Local 05 Feb 2015). The collapse of the wall in the Garden of Severus is is the latest in a series of weather-related collapses at the country’s most celebrated archaeological site.   Last year parts of the Temple of Venus and other Pompeii walls were damaged by rainfall. The Italian authorities have been criticized for being woefully slow in implementing restoration plans. They quite clearly have not the capabilities to look after what they have and the best hopes for some objects may be to release them to be looked after by private collectors. Unesco has also weighed into the debate, threatening in 2013 to scrap Pompeii from its prestigious World Heritage list if measures were not taken to save the ancient site.  


 

Egypt Military Dictatorship Shoots Own People

As Time publish photos of the recent outrageous shooting of a protestor in Egypt ('The Story Behind the Photo of Shaimaa al-Sabbagh's Dying Moments' Time Jan. 30, 2015), we need to ask is Egypt being  misruled by a government of legitimized thugs? What hope has the people of Egypt, when they are being governed by a corrupt military dictatiorship - albeit clothed in civilian clothes - and supported by a politicized police force and judiciary?