Additional Information

Available Through

Annual Reviews

Language

English

Notes

Abstract: The world's archaeological heritage is under serious threat from illegal and destructive excavations that aim to recover antiquities for sale on the international market. These antiquities are sold without provenance, so that their true nature is hard to discern, and many are ultimately acquired by major museums in Europe and North America. The adoption in 1970 by UNESCO of the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property created a new ethical environment in which museums and their representative associations adopted policies that were designed to guard against the acquisition of “unprovenanced,” and therefore most probably looted, antiquities. Unfortunately, over the past decade, U.S. museum associations have been advocating a more relaxed disposition, and the broader archaeological and anthropological communities are in significant measure responsible since they have met this unwelcome development largely in silence.

Taxonomies

RPA Codes & Standards

• Archaeologist's Responsibility to Colleagues, Employees, and Students
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to Employers and Clients
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to the Public

CIfA Codes

• Principle 1: Adherence to ethical and responsible behaviour in archaeological affairs
• Principle 2: Responsibility for the conservation of the historic environment

Keywords & Terms

• Anti-Commercialization
• Avoid, Discourage, and Report Unethical and Illegal Activity
• Looting, Collecting, and Illicit Trade of Cultural Property
• Management of Cultural Resources, Heritage, History
• Museum, Collection, Curation and Display Standards
• Preservation of Archaeological Resources
• Professional Standards
• Standards of Data Collection, Recordation, Analysis
• Storage of Data, Specimens, and Records

Topics & Issues

• Antiquities Trade
• Archaeological Societies and Codes of Ethics
• Destruction of Cultural Heritage
• Ethical Case Studies
• Ethical Dilemmas
• Ethical Responsibilities of Archaeologists
• Ethics of Collecting
• Heritage Management
• Museum and Display Ethics
• Professionalism and Professional Standards