Running Head The Owners of History 1

The Owners of History

A Study of the Repatriation of Historical Artifacts

Matthew McCurry

Appalachian State University

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The Issue of Repatriation and the Owners of History

The subject of history is a multi-faceted study that encompasses a wide variety of topics.

From the middle ages of knights and chivalry in Europe, to the Civil Rights movements right

here in the United States. Each event and topic is different, but all play a part together to bring us

where the world stands now. There is very little that people in the present can do to experience

those events except through the stories of the people that lived them. One of the few and most

important connections that we have to the past is through the artifacts we find, sometimes buried

below the earth. These objects capture our imagination and allow us a brief glimpse into what

life was like back then. Once found, these artifacts are usually brought back to the home land of

the one who found them, where they are stored in museums and put on display. This was most

common during the modern age of exploration. The most prominent example is the expansion of

the British Empire, where hundreds of thousands of artifacts were found and taken back to

Britain. Places like India, Greece, and Egypt all were affected by the aggressive exploration. This

practice has been a source of debate among not only historians but also governments of nations

in places like the Balkans and the Middle East. They argue that the artifacts should remain in the

country that they were found in, while representatives of countries like Britain and the United

States all claim ownership since they “discovered” them. The smaller nations are at a

disadvantage, however, as they go against some of the strongest and most influential countries in

the world. This issue is very prominent in the field of history, as the discovery of artifacts is one

of, if not the most important factor in maintaining museums.

It is important to remember in this instance, that before archaeology became an official

field of study, there were always curious people who went off searching to find objects of value.
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In a kind term they were early explorers and unofficial archaeologists, in less flattering words

they were grave robbers. These objects were primarily sold for large sums of cash, in some

instances they were kept as souvenirs. Later, when governments and more powerful people

became involved, they would put them on display. These acts were at first tolerated, either

because the countries of which the artifacts were found in were not interested in the relics or

simply because they could not do anything to stop them. However, as time went on and those

countries became more stabilized, they began to seek objects, events, or concepts. A rally point,

something that the people could take pride in being a citizen of that country. So the focus turned

on the objects possessed by others. These countries began to campaign for the return of those

objects. One of the most well known examples of a polite pressure occurred in Greece. “​During

the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece attempted to pressure Great Britain for the return

of the displaced Parthenon or "Elgin"” (Sam, 2005) marbles by announcing the building a brand

new museum for them, the Acropolis Museum.” Occasionally they will succeed and artifacts will

be returned. Italy, for example, returned an obelisk that was taken just before World War II back

to Ethiopia. Unfortunately, not all countries are willing to take the calm, measured approach.

“Egypt recently announced that it has decided to sue two museums, one in England and one in

Belgium for the return two pharaonic relief - or tomb carvings. Egypt says that if the museums

don't return the artifacts in question, archaeologists who work in those museums will not be

allowed to continue digging in the "Land of the Pharaohs". (Sam 2005) The artifacts in question

are not simply a burial mask of a minor prince, they are major pieces of history like the Rosetta

Stone, which played a huge part in deciphering the Egyptian Hieroglyphs. The Egyptians

strongly believe that it is their cultural right to have their artifacts returned to their possession.
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Historians in Egypt argue that they need them to study those relics and understand how their

ancestors lived all those centuries ago, while people in Britain and the U.S. are simply studying it

for their own entertainment and interest.

Of course there is a case on the other side of this argument. British Historians argue that

the artifacts are safer in their possession, and there are fewer risks to their existence. Museums

like the British Museum of History can more effectively preserve fragile substances against

environmental factors like extreme cold or heat. They also have little fear of being destroyed by

outside conflicts, like temples in Syria were by ISIS a few years ago. They also say that they can

study the objects more thoroughly than others could, and that they are learning more about them

than historians in countries like Egypt would be able to. The exhibits also draw interest from

people all over the world, especially ones with the notable name value like the Rosetta Stone.

Millions of people travel yearly to these museums just to get a glimpse of the legendary stone.

This generates a large amount of revenue, which is another key motivating factor in keeping

them where they are.

Another point that is heavily pushed by British historians is if indigenous people form an

enduring civilization, then can they protect and preserve their history? Since they do not have an

official country, the British argue that people like the Aborigine can not effectively preserve

these ancient and valuable items. This was countered when it was asked if the British were the

ones who decided that. Due to its imperialist past, Britain has been the center of attention when it

comes to artifact repatriation. Despite the importance of this issue, no resolution or compromise

has been created, and so the tension between the two sides remains. The question of who owns

history will remain unanswered.

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This topic is the subject of much debate and controversy between experts in the field of

history. I will be honest when I say that I did not know much about the subject when first reading

about it, and so began to research it extensively. I, along with many people I assume, took for

granted the fact that museums here locally in the States provided access to so many exhibits and

objects from other countries, and never considered what it would be like without those things. I

do not think that I would want to become a history major without those experiences. However, I

acknowledge the reasons why countries like Greece and Egypt would want their artifacts

returned. They were discovered by foreigners and then essentially stolen by those same people

and taken back to a foreign land. Despite this I also know that there are clear and obvious

benefits to keeping the artifacts where they are. They are certainly safer in places like London

and Washington than in Istanbul and Cairo.

My proposed solution to this conflict is something I think could work. The creation of

paid traveling exhibits would provide something beneficial to both parties. For example, if the

Rosetta Stone were returned to Egypt, but Britain wanted to display it, they could pay Egypt a

sum of money for a temporary loan of the Stone. The amount of money would be determined by

the length of the loan, which could be paid monthly or even weekly. Then, when the Stone is put

on display, Britain would receive all of the revenue generated from the tourism it would

undoubtedly attract. This could also be shared accordingly if necessary. It also benefits the host

country because if say Egypt does not want to loan it out and instead want to study it, they could

do that. While I don’t think this will actually happen, I think that something like this would go a

long way in helping to ease tensions. The question of who owns history remains unanswered and

likely will be for years to come, but hopefully this will make it a little easier to answer.
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Works Cited

Farango, J. (2015, April 21). To return or not: who should own indigenous art? Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150421-who-should-own-indigenous-art

Sam, S. (2005, Jul 19). Should Ancient Artifacts return home? Retrieved from

http://www.sciencebuzz.org/blog/should-ancient-artifacts-return-home

Little, B. (2018, Dec 18). Will the British Museum ever return these stolen artifacts? Retrieved

from

https://www.history.com/news/british-museum-stolen-artifacts-nigeria
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http://guides.library.appstate.edu/rc2001zurhellen

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11F7-E1kmBwCjXuqqRQI7ZucTTr2a1J4KsEH88Fpiqk
c/edit#gid=0

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