Tag: Rosetta Stone - Part 3

Why The Bust of Nefertiti Should Be Returned To Egypt

With the recent reopening of the Neues Museum on Berlin’s Museum Island, the argument over ownership of the Bust of Nefertiti has once again been stoked. The Germans have made the priceless, beautiful, 3,400-year-old sculpture of the famous Egyptian Queen one of the centerpiece attractions of the 200-million Neues. It seems to have only caused the Egyptians to become more resolute in their efforts to get her back. Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass stated recently that he would send a letter in October to Neues Museum directors containing irrefutable evidence in support of the Egyptian claim for repatriation (no sign of that letter yet, though).

Bija recently laid out the case for why Nefertiti should remain in Berlin. Ever ones for balance here at Heritage Key, we thought it would only be appropriate to articulate the counter-argument, which is just as compelling.

Practical Arguments

Well deal with some of the practical considerations first. One of the main German arguments is that, to do an artefact of such immense beauty, worth and popularity justice, it ought to be displayed in the best possible position and conditions and surrounded by the most state-of-the-art facilities. Theres no doubting that the Neues the worlds newest museum, and one of its most expensive right now ticks every one of those boxes.

But what about a few years down the line when, in 2013, the Grand Egyptian Museum opens at Giza? Its slated to be one of the most spectacular museums ever constructed a $550 million, 100,000 square-metre cultural mecca in the shadow of the pyramids. Surely itll represent every bit as fitting a home for Nefertiti as the Neues? Its also been suggested that Nefertiti is too fragile to move, but that sounds like a bluff she wasnt teleported from her previous location at the Altes Museum to the Neues! Admittedly the two buildings are only a few metres apart, but if the technology exists to safely transport 2,250-year-old Terracotta warriors on long tours around the world, then surely it exists to take Nefertiti on a single trip from Berlin to Cairo?

Bjia also makes the point that Egypt is already over-stocked with ancient sites and artefacts. Is there a chance that appropriate resources wont be available to maintain Nefertiti? And is there also a chance that Nefertitis magnificence could be diminished somewhat if shes surrounded by an abundance of other delights from ancient Egyptian history? Perhaps but its worth bearing in mind that first-hand access to some of Egypts greatest treasures is slowly diminishing. The Valley of the Kings most spectacular tombs, for instance, may have to close to the public altogether over the next few years, lest they become irrevocably damaged. With the long-term impact this might have on tourism in mind, the Egyptians arguably have a right to reign in their most valuable heritage prizes from abroad.

Ethical Arguments

The practical points arent really the bones of this debate as with all disputes over artefact repatriation, its chiefly an ethical argument. In this respect, the Egyptians are comfortably in the right. German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt tricked the Bust of Nefertiti out of Egypt sometime between 1911 and 1914 in a subterfuge violating statutes of the period and of the present.

He excluded mention of the bust from his published list of discoveries made during excavations in Egypt; when he did finally provide descriptions of the artefact, he lied about its quality and condition, making it out to be a worthless piece of gypsum and producing a photograph of the bust that cast it in a deliberately unflattering light. All the while, he clearly knew how valuable the bust was. It is indescribable, he recorded in his personal diary. You have to see it with your own eyes.

Isnt there a degree of shame on behalf of the Germans that one of their most-prized archaeological possessions was obtained so disreputably? Couldnt and shouldnt this very clear wrong be righted in the 21st century?

Its more complicated than that of course. Giving back the Bust of Nefertiti is the sort of move that could pull the proverbial rug out from under the feet of the likes of the British Museum who refuse to permanently repatriate the Elgin Marbles to Greece and the Rosetta Stone to Egypt. Its as if theres an unspoken agreement between museums not to budge when it comes to artefact repatriation, lest Pandoras Box be opened.

But maybe these claims and counter-claims are all somehow relative? If the Neues Museum was to relinquish Nefertiti, surely it would strengthen immeasurably its own case for the return from Russia of artefacts plundered by the Soviets at the end of WWII, such as Priams Treasure?

A Compromise?

As proven by the recent example of the SCA blocking French excavations at Saqqara until the Louvre agreed to return stolen fragments from a Theban tomb and they promptly did Zahi Hawass and the Egyptians arent scared to play hard-ball when it comes to regaining artefacts. But theres a more reasonable way for this and similar arguments to be resolved. Loan systems such as the one recently agreed between the National Museum of Scotland and the British Museum over the Lewis Chessmen can take the sting out of such debates, and establish a strong platform of negotiation upon which to build towards a permanent solution.

The Germans have expressed fears that if they loan the Bust of Nefertiti to Cairo, like a pinched library book, itll never come back. Judging by the humorous tone of comments from Zahi Hawass, quoted recently in The Times, the prospect of the Egyptians committing grand international artefact larceny in full glare of the worlds media seems faintly ridiculous. They think that we will be like the Raiders of the Lost Ark, he joked. That we will take it and not return it.

Money talks of course, and no museum is going to willingly accept the financial hit that comes with giving up an artefact capable of drawing 500,000 visitors per year, as Nefertiti did at her former home the Altes Museum. Yet, if that gap could be plugged, then maybe money can be taken out of the equation to some extent. The Egyptians could offer a loan artefact (or artefacts) in return theyve got plenty of them.

Logistical considerations aside, perhaps all major museums need to be less precious with their prize possessions, and accept that by sending them out on loan, while in turn accepting others from elsewhere, they can avoid time-consuming, reputation-damaging arguments, and at the same time constantly refresh their appeal. Touring exhibits can be hugely successful King Tut exhibitions worldwide have drawn in millions of visitors on their travels around the world since the 1970s, while more recently the Terracotta Warriors too have proven wildly successful.

As Bija mentioned, Nefertiti has a certain unquantifiable power over those who possess her, and the prospect of giving her up may be a simple matter of wounded pride as much as anything else. Yet, if a reasonable and rational compromise based on loans could be agreed, neither the Germans not the Egyptians need come away from this dispute having lost face. If future loan arrangements with other museums elsewhere could be agreed too, the wonder of the Bust of Nefertiti could be spread around the world for others to enjoy as well. Everyones a winner.

Not convinced? Read Bija’s opposing blogpost on why Nefertiti should remain in Berlin.

New York Shrine Returns to Temple of Karnak, Egypt Today

A lighter chapter to the ongoing issue of repatriating Egypt’s treasures will close today, as an ancient shrine fragment touches down on Egyptian soil after a year of international co-operation. The red granite chunk, part of a shrine, or ‘naos’, was bought by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art from a private collector last October, with the sole intent to send it back to its home nation.

Today sees the fragment of the shrine, which commemorates King Amenemhat I, the first pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty (1991 – 1962 BC), finally return to Egypt after a combined effort between the museum and Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. SCA chief Zahi Hawass praised the move as a “great deed”, stressing it is the first time a museum has bought an object with the expressed purpose of repatriating it. The shrine the piece belongs to can now be found in the Ptah Temple of Karnak, Luxor.

This is the first time a museum has bought an ancient artefact with the sole intent to repatriate it.

This episode is a high note in Dr Hawass‘ long-running campaign to repatriate thousands of Egypt’s most treasured items. The Met will certainly be on better terms with the SCA than Paris’ Louvre, whose experts were recently banned from excavation in Egypt following the ‘theft’ of objects from a Theban tomb. The famous French museum has since promised to return the items. And Dr Hawass is still pursuing the British Museum and Berlin’s Neues Museum, over their continued refusal to return the Rosetta Stone and Bust of Nefertiti respectively.

Got something you want Heritage Key to report – or do you just want to get something off your chest? Don’t hesitate to contact us either via the comments box below, our contact page or by emailing me directly.

Iran Says Archaeological Agreements are Under Threat in British Museum Cyrus Cylinder Row

A week after Egypt announced it was suspending archaeological cooperation with The Louvre in Paris in an argument over the return of fragments of a Theban Tomb, Iran has threatened to sever archaeological relations with Britain unless an agreement by the British Museum in London to loan out the Cyrus Cylinder is honoured within the next two months.

The artefact a 6th century BC Babylonian cuneiform-inscribed clay cylinder, which has been described as the first charter of human rights was due to arrive in Iran in September. But the British Museum have cited the political situation in post-election Iran which they say they are monitoring as the reason for the delay.

This has outraged the Iranians, who have laid down their ultimatum after questioning what domestic political developments have to do with cultural heritage. An irate Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi is quoted by Reuters as saying: The British party did not honor its pledge on illogical, illegal and unethical grounds. He later adds: If within this period this pledge is not honored then all agreements in archaeological research, trade fairs and so on with Britain might be harmed.

Hamid Baqaei, vice president of Irans Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, reinforced the Iranian position in an interview with the state-run Fars news agency. If the British Museum fails to send the Cyrus Cylinder in the next two months to be shown in Iran, said Baqaei, as quoted by Bloomberg, we will cease any mutual activities with them, including archaeological cooperation and holding cultural heritage exhibitions in the UK.

“As ever with any kind of loan wed want to be assured that the situation in the country was suitable.

Hannah Boulton, head of press at the British Museum, played down the row when she spoke to Bloomberg. We certainly have committed to lending the Cyrus Cylinder to Iran, and it is fully our intention to do that, she said. We hope that well be able to honor that commitment as soon as possible. As ever with any kind of loan wed want to be assured that the situation in the country was suitable.

The British Museum is, of course, no stranger to controversy. The Greeks continue to forcefully demand from them the return of The Elgin Marbles, which were removed to Britain from the Parthenon in Athens on dubious grounds by Sir Thomas Bruce between 1801 and 1812. Recently, the debate over the 12th century Lewis Chessmen the majority of which are kept by the British Museum, despite being discovered on an island in Scotland in 1831 has resulted in a loan agreement, but the Scottish Government continues to call for their permanent repatriation.

The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, meanwhile, continues to demand the return of the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum, as well as other stolen Egyptian antiquities abroad such as the Bust of Nefertiti, which will this weekend take pride of place at the opening of Berlins Neues Museum.

Picture by M. Ignacio Monge Garca. Some rights reserved.

Egypt Suspends Louvre Saqqara Excavations over Stolen Artefacts

Egypt has decided to suspend all archaeological cooperation with the Louvre, after the French museum refused to return fragments of a Theban Tomb. The news was confirmed today by Dr. Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt’s antiquities department. The artefacts were excavated in a tomb near Luxor, and according to Dr. Hawass were stolen by the French. This decision endangers planned conferences at the Louvre, as well as the French team’s current excavations at Saqqara, the ‘city of the dead’. A boycott of the Louvre‘s Egyptological activities also ensures no archeological expeditions sponsored by the French museum could go ahead in Egypt.

The decision to cut all ties with the Louvre, as well as its archaeological teams, was taken two months ago after the Louvre had repeatedly ignored requests for the return of four reliefs. Dr. Hawass says the reliefs were illegally taken from a tomb in Luxors Valley of the Kings in the 1980s.

The disputed artefacts are 5 fragments from the wall of Theban Tomb 15 (TT15), the tomb of Tetiki on the West Bank at Dra Abu’l Naga. The tomb was photographed in 1968 and shown intact. In the 1990’s the tomb was – like so many – lost, and thought to be destroyed by modern building. A team from the Heidelberg University rediscovered this tomb during excavations at Dra Abu El-Naga in 2001, but the fragments were missing.

Four fragments of TT15 were acquired by the Louvre in 2000, and a fifth one in 2003. In January 2009, the SCA presented the evidence to the Louvre; these fragments that resurfaced in the French Museum’s collection had clearly been stolen.

The Louvre has promised to return the pieces – but that it will have to wait for advice from a national body the French Museum. In September, the SCA informed the Louvre that it was suspending its excavations at Saqqara until the pieces were returned. There is a meeting of the National Scientific Commission for Museum Collections on October 9th, at which the official decision about the return of the fragments of TT15 will be made.

Dr. Hawass has made repatriating ‘stolen’ Egyptian antiquities a priority, especially those he calls ‘icons of our Egyptian identity’ – unique artefacts of Egyptian cultural patrimony. The SCAis also pressuring Berlin’s Neues Museum for the return of the Bust of Neferiti, and the British Museum for the Rosetta Stone. The antiquities chief had already been purusing the Louvre over the Dendera Zodiac, an amazing astronomical chart which was torn from the Temple of Hathor at Dendera by French general Louis Charles Antoine Desaix in 1821.

Incas ‘Had Binary Language’

The lost Inca civilization of the Andes developed a seven-bit binary code using knotted string called Khipu, a leading American anthropologist argues. If true, the relics would have invented binary language around 500 years before the invention of the computer. The coloured textiles could have provided thousands of language permutations; around the same as the Sumerian cuneiform of 1,500 to 1,000 BC, according to Harvard University professor Gary Urton. The pre-Columbian expert’s findings could shatter the long-held belief that the enigmatic Incas, who were destroyed when the Spanish conquistadors garrotted last ruler Atahualpa in 1533, are the only Bronze Age culture without writing. Khipus have been thought to illicit information since 1923, when science historian L. Leland Locke claimed their coloured knots were used as abacuses. However, Locke’s findings only examined a tiny proportion of the 600 khipu in existence today, and Urton believes Locke to have deciphered less than half of the information on them. Urton announced his theory in 2003 – a year after beginning his Khipu Database Project, which aims to provide the world with a centralised repository of the mysterious pendants.

“Khipu were much more than mnemonic devices.”

“The most convincing evidence for this three-dimensional writing system is the khipu,” Urton tells Discovery News. “Their complexity would have been unnecessary if they were just mnemonic devices understood only by their makers.” Urton’s findings are based upon the seven different binary choices in making khipu. These include type of material (cotton or wool); direction of the knot; length of string; details on the knots and so on. A standard seven-bit code would effect 128 possibilities, but Urton believes the 24 different colours used boosts the total to 1,536 outcomes. This rivals early cuneiform, and is double that of Egyptian and Maya hieroglyphs. What Urton now needs is what he calls a ‘Rosetta khipu’, after the Rosetta Stone, discovered in 1799, from which experts decoded the Egyptian language. “We have a sizeable number of khipu, and we have about a dozen documents that are written up from the khipu,” Urton adds. “What we don’t have yet is a match between a document and a khipu.” Bologna University pre-Columbian scholar Laura Laurencich-Minelli agrees in part with Urton’s assumptions. “Certainly, khipu were much more than mnemonic devices,” she says. Pre-Columbian American is sure to be grabbing more headlines in the near future, as the British Museum launches its ‘Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler‘ exhibition on September 24.

CBBC Kids to Get Lock-in at the British Museum

CBBC, the BBC’s children’s broadcaster, has announced a brand new kids’ quiz show, in which six contestants will pit their wits again guards and ‘ghosts’, as they spend a night in the British Museum unlocking the secrets of its most famous treasures. Relic will see the children dodging security and completing a number of interactive tasks, as they bid to become ‘guardians’ of the museum. However anyone failing the show will find themselves facing “incarceration in the museum forever”. A BBC release explains, “As the brave adventurers search the museum they must complete complex challenges and confront visions from the past in their quest for answers. They will have to discover the secrets of some of the museums most famous exhibits, including how the Rosetta Stone unlocked the secrets of Ancient Egypt and the premonition that led to the discovery of the Sutton Hoo ship burial.

The 13 thirty-minute shows will be aired in the UK in early 2010, to run concurrently with Radio 4’s upcoming series A History of the World in 100 Artefacts, led by British Museum director Neil MacGregor. It will also be accompanied by a virtual model of the museum and information on its artefacts, available via the CBBC website. CBBC controller Anne Gilchrist is hugely confident of the show’s success. She told industry website Broadcast, “The British Museum is bursting withundiscovered treasures and amazing facts, so for CBBC viewers to have the privilege of running around at night trying to unlock its secrets is an unbelievable opportunity.Im thrilled to be able to open up this inspiring collection, via television and the web, to our young audience.

Image by Ra5her.

Marble Fight Gets Messy

The British Museum houses a suspiciously large stash of ancient relics, pillaged from around the world by British explorers back when there were no laws against that kind of thing.

But the countries of origin of many of these treasures now want them back, and the repatriation of artefacts has become a hot potato between the UK and countries such as Egypt, Turkey and China.

Image of the New Acropolis Museum by Skoobie99.

The UKs argument had, in the past, been that the origin countries do not have appropriate venues to house and display the ancient artefacts. With two major new museums – theNew Acropolis Museum in Athens and the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo – about to nullify this argument big style, the world holds its breath to see whether the British Museum will comply with demands to allow Greek and Egyptian artefacts to be repatriated.

The New Acropolis Museum, set to open on 20th June 2009, is Greece’s answer to argument that Athens has no suitable venue in which to display the Elgin Marbles (which were originally pillaged from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin), and was built to strengthen the country’s argument for their return. The trustees of the British Museum were invited to the down-graded credit crunch opening party, although, tellingly, there was no party invite for the relatives of Lord Elgin.

At the museum entrance, a signboard confidently describes the Parthenon Gallery as a “dress rehearsal for a permanent exhibition of the entire frieze”, reflecting the perhaps misguided confidence of Architect Bernard Tschumi that the marbles will definitely return. He says that the marbles should be the centrepiece of his $177million glass creation, arguing that fragments of the frieze should remain together, instead of split between Athens and London.

Image of a fragment of the Parthenon frieze in the British Museum, by WVJazzman.

But their return is looking increasingly doubtful. In a 2007 interview with Neil MacGregor, of the British Museum, he stated simply that the BM will never return their marbles to Greece, and possibly not even loan them, due to Greece’s refusal to acknowledge Britain at the rightful owners. Ouch.

The issue will be closely watched by Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, who is hoping that the opening of Cairo’s impressive Grand Egyptian Museum will lead to the return of looted Egyptian treasures such as the Rosetta Stone, now housed in, that’s right, the British Museum.

Image of the Rosetta Stone by Kip Carroll.

Last year, Egypt made a formal request for a 3-month loan of the Rosetta Stone, so that it could be viewed by the first visitors to the new museum when it opens in 2012. A dispute is already raging over the Altes Museum‘s refusal to loan Egypt the bust of Nefertiti, on the grounds that it is too fragile to be moved, and Egypt is becoming increasingly angry at the reluctance of foreign owners to return, or even loan, its nation’s heritage.

With similar battles for repatriation taking place between countries all over the world, the issue of repatriation is like a mass divorce in which everybody claims to be acting in the best the interests of the children. With the Elgin Marbles and the Rosetta Stone sitting pretty as the BM’s two top attractions, it’s unlikely that they’ll give up their babies without a fight. As divorces go, this one is already getting messy.