The case of Urukagina, as brilliantly presented here, brings us to a question that will exist as long as organized societies exist. Was Peisistratus a tyrant or a leader who increased the power of Athens? Was Julius Caesar a dictator or the protector of his people? What are the boundaries between tyranny and enlightened governance?
don’t know if your comment is about specific artifact(s) you have in mind that you think are questionable, or if rather, you’re just making a broad generalization and a vague accusation. But if they are still in possession of whatever “stuff” you’re ambiguously refering to, then it was likely by way of legal methods, otherwise it would’ve been repatriated by now, or there are plans to do so, and or long term loans will be/are being/have been made in order to repatriate. This museum seems to have a progressive attitude on this issue if anything, especially in light of the fact that it’s a necessity to maintain good relations and still excavate in a lot of the countries where their artifacts originate and they want to avoid running the risk of having their current sites and future permission to dig denied pending the return of contested objects. Although I’m sure it is the case that they could have some items, like many - most major museums do, from the way Penn has handled this issue in the past they are fully willing to cooperate, as they have done so in the past, even for major items in their collection. Museums today are facing more and more difficulties and challenges from operating in an increasingly litigious atmosphere to ever decreasing government funding and donor revenue sources drying up or being siphoned elsewhere to a public who’s attention would rather be spent on garbage low entertainment, widespread history illiteracy, a general trend of anti intellectualism, disinterest in & low levels of appreciation as knowledge of and exposure to the arts as a result of little to no arts education in school curriculums for decades, and always being first to go during budget cuts, which have now become continuous, which all leads to an ever lowering quality and degeneration of our culture which is the measure of a society. The last thing museums need is more antagonism, especially unfair and unwarranted antagonism like this comment. What public service can we put next to your name?
