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| Loot, Legitimacy and Ownership: The Ethical Crisis in Archaeology (Duckworth Debates in Archaeology) | 
 enlarge | Author: Colin Renfrew
Publisher: Duckworth Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $20.00
Buy New: $18.98
You Save: $1.02 (5%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (1 reviews)
Sales Rank: 227776
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5
ISBN: 0715630342
Dewey Decimal Number: 363.69
EAN: 9780715630341
ASIN: 0715630342
Publication Date: January 31, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Colin Renfrew illustrates how the most precious product of archaeology is the information that excavations can illuminate about out shared human past. Yet the illicit digging of archaeological sites for gain - i.e. looting - is destroying the context in which archaeological findings can be understood, as well as sabotaging the most valued information. Today?s art market is rife with the antiquities pilfered by these archaeological looters.
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| Customer Reviews:
A well thought-out position on this tricky issue. May 3, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I think a reader must approach all books on the issue of cultural patrimony with careful deference to differing sensibilities that exist on the issue. This book is presented from the standpoint of a very aggressive, European concept of patrimony, focusing (as its title implies) on the illicit looting of antiquities and their summary introduction into the free market antiquities trade (a practice which is disdained by anyone of conscience)
The book presents a mindful case on the nuances of antiquities ownership and buying, with a heavy emphasis on the importance of documented provenance. While I don't personally agree with all of the philosophical ideas promoted by the author, he certainly presents his position in a very professional and intelligent manner, worthy of consideration by everyone.
The only area where this book is slightly lacking was in addressing the issue of "old collection" antiquities, that often times were unapologetically assembled as a direct result of site looting- back during an age when such practices were viewed with far more permissiveness than they are today. This issue creates a very tricky nexus between private property rights and cultural patrimony rights that just doesn't have a morally clear, easy answer.
Overall, as a book, this one is a definite four stars. While not presented as a balanced perspective on the issue, it doesn't purport itself to be such, thus, it holds much validity as work of well thought-out opinion, representing one side of a two sided issue.
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