The Ethics of Collecting Cultural Property : Whose Culture? Whose Property? [Paperback]

Phyllis Mauch Messenger (Editor), Brian Fagan (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0826321259 | ISBN-13: 978-0826321251 | Edition: Enlarged 2nd

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) has brought into sharp relief the conflicts among public and private collectors, scholars, and indigenous peoples over the provenience and disposition of cultural property, especially archaeological remains. First published in 1989 and now updated and enlarged, The Ethics of Collecting Cultural Property explores the ethical, legal, and intellectual issues related to excavating, selling, collecting, and owning cultural artifacts. Twenty-two contributors, representing archaeology, law, museum administration, art history, and philosophy, suggest how the numerous interested groups, often at odds, can cooperate to resolve cultural heritage, ownership, and repatriation issues and improve the protection of cultural property worldwide. A new preface and epilogue frame the contemporary debate in a global perspective. The editor provides updated information about domestic and international laws and regulations and enforcement institutions. She has also added "Codes of Ethics" and "Some Organizations and Resources Related to Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Issues."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is essential reading for any person who buys, sells, owns, looks at, or cares about the human record of the past and what is happening to it." -- Explorations in Sights and Sounds

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Explores the ethical, legal, and intellectual issues related to excavating, selling, collecting, and owning cultural artifacts.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 331 pages
• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press; Enlarged 2nd edition (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826321259
• ISBN-13: 978-0826321251
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #300,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Author's comments, December 16, 1999

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Phyllis Mauch Messenger (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ethics of Collecting Cultural Property : Whose Culture? Whose Property? (Paperback)

This goal of this volume is to present a variety of perspectives on cultural heritage issues to a broad audience, from archaeologists to collectors, museum curators to the general public. As editor of this volume of essays originally published in 1989, and author of the 1999 update, I believe it is extremely important for all of us to be part of an ongoing dialogue about how to preserve the past for the future. When the University of New Mexico Press approached me to update the original volume, I was struck by the changes that have occurred in the last decade. In the United States, the passage and implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, has had a major impact on the treatment and disposition of American Indian objects of cultural heritage. And the world wide web has had a major impact on the kinds of information that is readily available to anyone, whether for the trade of antiquities or for tracking down stolen artifacts. At the same time, the problem of illegal and unethical destruction of the past continues--and in some areas of the world, has worsened. I hope the reader will find the essays thought-provoking and the appendices, including an overview of U.S. and international laws, statements of professional ethics, and a listing of resources and organizations, to be helpful in developing one's own stance on stewardship of the past.