Date of Award

12-2011

Access Control

Campus-Only Access

Degree Name

Multidisciplinary Studies – Museum Studies, M.A.

Department

History and Social Studies Education Department

Advisor

Dr. Cynthia Conides, Director of Museum Studies/Associate Professor

Department Home page

http://graduateschool.buffalostate.edu/multidisciplinary-studies

First Reader

Dr. Cynthia Conides, Director of Museum Studies/Associate Professor

Second Reader

Nancy Weekly, Lecturer/BPAC Collections Head

Third Reader

Kathryn Leacock, Lecturer

Abstract

For many decades Egypt has been trying to recover its most precious antiquities which, for varying reasons, reside outside of the country. Over thousands of years there has been looting, trading, buying, and gifting of these objects to museums and individual collectors. Recent history, however, has seen Egypt putting strong demands for the returns of these treasures on those same museums and collectors, as well as governments. The battle over who should really own them has ensued and continues to be waged with no end in sight. What must remain most important, though, is the safety and proper treatment of the objects and the best use of them in service to the global community. For this to be achieved, cooperation must be the key.

Egypt is not the only country demanding its antiquities be returned, but it has been the most vocal and vigilant, especially since its antiquities service came under the leadership of Dr. Zahi Hawass. He has called upon other seeking nations to band together in the fight – a sort of strength in numbers approach. One of the most difficult aspects of this conflict, though, is the fact that there is no single international policy that all nations have agreed upon regarding how to deal with the issues of antiquities that they are facing. Because of this, it is difficult to imagine how and when a resolution will ever be agreed upon.

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