tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972497915033440413.post8987800922412574684..comments2024-03-20T18:15:41.858+00:00Comments on Looting Matters: Good Faith: A Common Phrase?David Gillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13164794689385933318noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972497915033440413.post-29836343177106828492008-07-20T02:08:00.001+01:002008-07-20T02:08:00.001+01:00There are at least two things that the collectors ...There are at least two things that the collectors and dealers could do to help others avoid buying recently-surfaced (or to be more precise, illegally excavated or illegally exported) antiquities:<BR/><BR/>1. Push for and fund a provenance review board that would be accredited by the AIA, WAC, or some other professional association of archaeologists. That board could set standards for what counted as a legitimate provenance, and could empanel experts to examine artifacts and either certify or disqualify them as saleable. (There would have to be fees paid for this services, I presume.) Ideally, this certification would be legally required to permit an antiquity to be sold.<BR/><BR/>2. Lend financial support for efforts to clamp down on looting at the source. One straightforward way to do this would be for a wealthy individual or group to establish and fund a non-profit foundation with site protection and anti-looting/anti-smuggling efforts as its sole focus; another would be to go to Charles Schumer and urge him to impose a tax on sales of legal antiquities, with tax revenues dedicated to fighting looting, smuggling, and illegal sales of antiquities. If looting can be controlled -- and we have some hope that it can if adequate resources are provided -- then fewer illicit artifacts will come to market.Larry Rothfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525764497697221380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972497915033440413.post-16014720891261415182008-07-20T02:08:00.000+01:002008-07-20T02:08:00.000+01:00There are at least two things that the collectors ...There are at least two things that the collectors and dealers could do to help others avoid buying recently-surfaced (or to be more precise, illegally excavated or illegally exported) antiquities:<BR/><BR/>1. Push for and fund a provenance review board that would be accredited by the AIA, WAC, or some other professional association of archaeologists. That board could set standards for what counted as a legitimate provenance, and could empanel experts to examine artifacts and either certify or disqualify them as saleable. (There would have to be fees paid for this services, I presume.) Ideally, this certification would be legally required to permit an antiquity to be sold.<BR/><BR/>2. Lend financial support for efforts to clamp down on looting at the source. One straightforward way to do this would be for a wealthy individual or group to establish and fund a non-profit foundation with site protection and anti-looting/anti-smuggling efforts as its sole focus; another would be to go to Charles Schumer and urge him to impose a tax on sales of legal antiquities, with tax revenues dedicated to fighting looting, smuggling, and illegal sales of antiquities. If looting can be controlled -- and we have some hope that it can if adequate resources are provided -- then fewer illicit artifacts will come to market.Larry Rothfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525764497697221380noreply@blogger.com