News & Issues in Cultural Heritage

Centuries-old antiques stolen from Afghan museum: officials — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 10-05-2008 09:09 AM

Antiques dating back 1,300 years have been stolen from a museum in western Afghanistan, officials said Saturday, blaming a "powerful gang" for the theft after a suspect was found dead.

Back to the source: Who Owns Antiquity? Museums and the Battle Over Our Ancient Heritage — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 10-03-2008 05:44 PM

Who Owns Antiquity? Museums and the Battle Over Our Ancient Heritage By James Cuno Princeton University Press, 228pp, $US24.95 The encyclopedic museums' argument against repatriation of classical artefacts is self-servingly flawed, writes Ingrid D. Rowland

Artifact thief to serve prison time — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 10-03-2008 05:29 PM

A former state archivist and Civil War expert who stole hundreds of historical documents and artifacts belonging to the New York State Library and sold some of them over the Internet for personal profit was sentenced on Thursday to two to six years in prison.

The Midas Crutch — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 10-03-2008 05:27 PM

Greed, gold and stolen art

LAND LETTER: Looting of artifacts rampant in economic downturn — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 10-02-2008 06:06 PM

From Mimbres pottery in New Mexico to Civil War bullets in Georgia, public treasures are being stripped from public lands across the country

Egypt to retrieve ancient statue from Netherlands- — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 10-02-2008 06:05 PM

DISCOVERED in Saqara in 1985, stolen then auctioned, an ancient funerary statue “could finally go home to Egypt where it belongs,” according to the Cairo government.

IS NATIONALISM AS SUCH A DANGEROUS PHENOMENON FOR CULTURE AND — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 09-30-2008 10:16 AM

“The charge of nationalism (whether outdated or au courant) is frequently levelled at those seeking the repatriation of cultural treasures to those nations and communities from which they were extracted. But nations have always used their own material culture as a means of constructing and expressing their national identity. There is nothing implicitly damaging or divisive in that. However it becomes so when the objects being used are not indigenous to that country but instead material extracted from other nations during periods of imperial conquest or colonial adventure.” Tom Flynn (1)

Looting of artifacts rampant in economic downturn — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 09-30-2008 10:00 AM

From Mimbres pottery in New Mexico to Civil War bullets in Georgia, public treasures are being stripped from public lands across the country. In the past 10 years, there have been 9,640 reported incidents of looting and vandalism of cultural resources, according to federal records

Namibia: Race against time to save ancient Portuguese shipwreck — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 09-28-2008 05:05 PM

ORANJEMUND, Namibia (AFP) - Archaeologists are racing against the little time left to salvage a fortune in coins and items from a 500-year-old Portuguese shipwreck found recently off Namibia's rough southern coast.

Italian art squad find stolen Renoir painting — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 09-28-2008 09:34 AM

ITALIAN police have recovered a painting by the French Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir, stolen in Milan in 1975 from a private collector. The Carabinieri art squad yesterday revealed they had arrested three people in a northern Italian town near the border with Austria on suspicion of trafficking in stolen artworks.

Stolen Czech Jewish art to be returned — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 09-28-2008 09:31 AM

Jewish Museum in Prague ready to return a valuable art collection stolen during Nazi occupation to US relatives of its former owner, although Americans will not be able to take some of art out of country

French National Sentenced in International Stolen Art Conspiracy Involving Paintings by Monet, Sisley, and Brueghel — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 09-26-2008 06:47 PM

French national Bernard Jean Ternus was sentenced today before United States District Court Judge Patricia A. Seitz in Miami, FL, announced R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE

Applying NAGPRA in Hawaii — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 09-26-2008 03:01 PM

HONOLULU – The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act is largely considered a success in the mainland United States, not only for the Native tribes for which it was intended, but also for archaeologists.

Barakat Gallery may win Jiroft artifact case" — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 09-26-2008 03:01 PM

LONDON, September 25 (IranMania) - The Judicial Office director of Iran?s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) said that the London Barakat Gallery may win the city?s appeal court against Iran in the case of the Jiroft artifacts, MNA reported.

Guilty: Lawyer who hid stolen art for 30 years — by Gary Nurkin — last modified 09-26-2008 03:01 PM

Robert Mardirosian was handed loot by client who had just burgled Massachusetts collector