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Tourist returns ancient piece of Jerusalem
The Israel Antiquities Authority got an interesting package from the U.S. recently, Archaeology News reported. It contained a piece of early medieval stonework and came with a note.
The note said that the sender, who apparently remained anonymous, had been an archaeology student 12 years ago and stole the stone from the excavation he was on so that he would have a memento with which to "pray for Jerusalem." Instead, it made him feel guilty and so he decided to return it. Sometimes guilt takes a while to work.
At least this idiot had to pay a lot in postage. The stone weighed 21 kilograms (more than 46 pounds) and appears to be a portion of a marble column from the Umayyid Dynasty, a Muslim dynasty that ruled the region from 661 to 750 A.D. The Umayyids had the first major Muslim empire, ruling over a vast territory from their capital in Damascus. They were responsible for building two of the major Muslim sites in the holy city--The Dome of the Rock (pictured here) and Al-Aksa Mosque.
Israeli archaeologists believe the column came from a large palace complex built near the Temple Mount that served as the local seat of government.
As some travelers set off to volunteer at archaeological excavations this summer, this former archaeologist would like to remind them that stealing antiquities is not only immoral, but illegal, and could land you in jail. It will certainly get you an F in your archaeology class.
Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Israel, News, Middle East
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jeremy Kressmann Jun 2nd 2009 5:20PM
Is this some kind of weird travel trend nobody is talking about?
http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/29/american-tourists-return-stolen-colleseum-rock-after-25-years/
"Tourists return monument rocks in record numbers"
Sean McLachlan Jun 3rd 2009 9:08AM
People have always taken bits of ancient monuments back home with them after trips. It's how many of the musuems in the West got their collections, after all. But I think the public is becoming more aware of the impact this is having.
During the Nineties in the U.S. there was a lot of media attention over the fight between Native American groups and museums over human remains. Former colonies have also fought for the return of artifacts, like Ethiopia getting back the stela of Axum from Italy and the continung efforts by Greece to get the British Museum to return the Elgin Marbles. It looks like the public is realizing that cultural heritage belongs to that culture and not to just anyone who had the ability to take it.