The bibliography of cultural property literature is rich in titles that talk about saving the past. Every question from who made it to who owns it and who should guard it has had buckets of ink spilled on it. Even organizations have taken their names from this "Saving the Past" sound bite. The U.S. State Department has a Cultural Heritage Center that clearly defines its role as one of saving the past. Yes, this seems to be a very popular and lucrative enterprise for some.
I was a bit surprised when I noted the title of a recent blog post by archaeologist Sebastian Heath. A notice of the upcoming CPAC hearing on the Memorandum of Understanding with Italy was headlined "Saving Archaeology in Italy." Kudos to Mr. Heath for cutting through the chaff and hitting the nail on the head. The requested import restrictions are not about saving the past in Italy, there is probably no better studied ancient civilization in the world than that of the Romans. It is about job protection. Yes, archaeology as a profession is at risk and that point is painfully obvious to those who dig in nationalist countries like Italy where the state lays claim to cultural property.
The concern is not that the earth will run out of objects to cough up and study. Heavens, our civilization is producing objects faster than archaeologists 100 years from now could ever gather and study them, even if the profession doubled in size. Archaeology is not dealing with a finite resource, it is dealing with the rolling window of human existence and that resource just keeps getting bigger every day. Just think, for a moment, about the number of WWII related objects that lie in the earth or under the sea from Britain to India and Japan to Singapore -- and that's just a six-year window. No, it's not about the "finite resource." Nor is the concern about site looting. Yes, archaeological sites are looted in many countries. That is a concern. But even archaeologists know that putting import restrictions on tiny utilitarian objects is not going to stop site looting for a host of obvious reasons. So, if it's not about the resource and not about the looting, what is it about?
Permits.
Nationalist countries have come to realize that they can control the cultural sphere by controlling the archaeologists. No career-oriented field archaeologist would even think about expressing a public view contrary to the interests of the regime that grants their permit and thereby controls their professional destiny. Some archaeologists perceive that supporting the views of nationalist governments will endear them to the host nation bureaucracy that decides whether they work or not. This is not really so unexpected. After all, they do need to work. But, does their support for import restrictions really help save the past? No, it helps save "archaeology". Thank you to Sebastian Heath for highlighting that easily forgotten fact.
I, for one, believe that archaeology needs to be saved. It is an honorable and obviously useful profession that society needs and can afford. I just think that casting a light of vilification on collectors and independent scholars with the notion that it will somehow help save archaeology is woefully misguided thinking. Perverting the well-intentioned and balanced provisions of the Cultural Property Implementation Act as a means to satisfy foreign nationalist governments is, in my view, anti-American and any attempt to do that deserves to be rigorously opposed (which the ACCG is doing both in Court and within the State Department system of public input).
If we're going to save the past, we ought to try to save the present as well because it, all too soon, will become the past.
Friday, April 09, 2010
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Time to Speak Out
Friends (and otherwise);
The U.S. State Department has announced a date of May 6-7 for Cultural Property Advisory Committee hearings on the request for renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding with Italy. Hopefully your eyes are not already glazed over by this first sentence. In practical terms, the U.S. government is about to decide whether antiquities and other forms of cultural property that Italy claims as its heritage ought to be restricted from entry into the U.S. unless accompanied by Italian export permits. There is already such an agreement in place, but ancient coins have been exempted twice before in these renewal requests that cover a 5-year window. We have very good reason to believe that Italy and members of the archaeological community will this time seek to add coins to the list of restricted items. There is a period open for public comment on the issue and the best way to comment is by fax. Don't despair, this is VERY easily done. Simply go to the ACCG web site at http://accg.us and click on the Fax Wizard link (picture of U.S. Capitol Building) on the left side of the page. It says "Fax Your Legislator" but will indeed send your message to the State Department. You will be guided through a brief and easy to follow process that sends a free fax to the State Department registering your views.
Why oppose these import restrictions? Because Roman coins are at the very core of the cultural experience that we all treasure. They have circulated all over the known world in antiquity and since through trade and collector markets. It is impossible to distinguish a Roman coin found in Britain, for example, from exactly the same type, mint, etc found in Italy. Requiring an export permit from Italy on a coin found and legally exported from Britain would not only be impractical, it would not have any legal foundation. Still, any court challenge by an individual is unlikely since the legal costs usually far exceed the value of seized objects. Import restrictions are simply not a viable solution to protecting archaeological sites. They are an idealist panacea that cause far more harm to society than any possible good. Excluding the U.S. collector and trade from the legitimate world market for Roman coins, or unilaterally forcing draconian documentation requirements on Americans, would be grossly prejudicial and would certainly be against the interests of American citizens and their traditional freedoms.
We simply MUST oppose any expansion of the MOU with Italy to include coins. We must do so with an absolutely resounding voice. EVERY person reading this has an interest in ancient coins, even if you don't collect Roman coins, and needs to make their view known. The entire hobby is being challenged. There is simply nothing more important to do RIGHT NOW than to take five minutes, go to the ACCG fax wizard and register your concern. Don't wait 'til the 22 April deadline.
The ACCG will defend the hobby to the best of its ability, but in the final analysis it is the will of the people that will prevail. Those who speak most loudly and clearly will succeed. DO IT!
With best wishes,
Wayne G. Sayles
Executive Director, ACCG
The U.S. State Department has announced a date of May 6-7 for Cultural Property Advisory Committee hearings on the request for renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding with Italy. Hopefully your eyes are not already glazed over by this first sentence. In practical terms, the U.S. government is about to decide whether antiquities and other forms of cultural property that Italy claims as its heritage ought to be restricted from entry into the U.S. unless accompanied by Italian export permits. There is already such an agreement in place, but ancient coins have been exempted twice before in these renewal requests that cover a 5-year window. We have very good reason to believe that Italy and members of the archaeological community will this time seek to add coins to the list of restricted items. There is a period open for public comment on the issue and the best way to comment is by fax. Don't despair, this is VERY easily done. Simply go to the ACCG web site at http://accg.us and click on the Fax Wizard link (picture of U.S. Capitol Building) on the left side of the page. It says "Fax Your Legislator" but will indeed send your message to the State Department. You will be guided through a brief and easy to follow process that sends a free fax to the State Department registering your views.
Why oppose these import restrictions? Because Roman coins are at the very core of the cultural experience that we all treasure. They have circulated all over the known world in antiquity and since through trade and collector markets. It is impossible to distinguish a Roman coin found in Britain, for example, from exactly the same type, mint, etc found in Italy. Requiring an export permit from Italy on a coin found and legally exported from Britain would not only be impractical, it would not have any legal foundation. Still, any court challenge by an individual is unlikely since the legal costs usually far exceed the value of seized objects. Import restrictions are simply not a viable solution to protecting archaeological sites. They are an idealist panacea that cause far more harm to society than any possible good. Excluding the U.S. collector and trade from the legitimate world market for Roman coins, or unilaterally forcing draconian documentation requirements on Americans, would be grossly prejudicial and would certainly be against the interests of American citizens and their traditional freedoms.
We simply MUST oppose any expansion of the MOU with Italy to include coins. We must do so with an absolutely resounding voice. EVERY person reading this has an interest in ancient coins, even if you don't collect Roman coins, and needs to make their view known. The entire hobby is being challenged. There is simply nothing more important to do RIGHT NOW than to take five minutes, go to the ACCG fax wizard and register your concern. Don't wait 'til the 22 April deadline.
The ACCG will defend the hobby to the best of its ability, but in the final analysis it is the will of the people that will prevail. Those who speak most loudly and clearly will succeed. DO IT!
With best wishes,
Wayne G. Sayles
Executive Director, ACCG
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