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Ethics of Collecting Cultural Heritage

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Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology

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Introduction

Perspectives on rights and responsibilities related to studying, collecting, and owning cultural artifacts, or objects of cultural heritage, are at the heart of many debates among scholars, collectors, descendant communities, institutions, and governments. The loss of cultural heritage due to looting, war, development, and other destructive forces has led to a body of laws, international conventions, and other protective measures, particularly since the mid-twentieth century, and has helped shape the codes of ethics that inform how archaeologists, museum professionals, and heritage managers do their work (Lynott 2003).

Definition

Cultural objects from the past are variously referred to as “antiquities,” “cultural property,” “cultural resources,” and “cultural heritage,” with usage changing over time and often weighted with political and social subtext. These terms reflect different understandings of ownership, value, and meaning. They suggest whether we think first of...

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References

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Further Reading

  • Archaeology Magazine for discussions of recent court cases and examples of restitution of cultural objects.

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  • Codes of ethics on websites of professional archaeological organizations (including Society for American Archaeology, Archaeological Institute of America), and international organizations, such as the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

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  • International Journal of Cultural Property

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  • Journal of Field Archaeology

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  • Publication series, including Duckworth Debates in Archaeology; Perspectives on Collecting, Ashgate Publishing Co.; Key Issues in Cultural Heritage, Routledge; Research in Museum Studies, Routledge; One World Archaeology Series; World Archaeological Congress Research Handbooks in Archaeology.

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  • Websites for UNESCO conventions on cultural property, tangible and intangible heritage.

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  • Website of U.S. Department of State Cultural Property Advisory Committee and corresponding governmental agencies of other countries.

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  • Writings of foundational leaders in the field, including Henry Cleere, Clemency Coggins, David Lowenthal, Patrick O’Keefe, Lyndel Prott, Colin Renfrew.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Advanced Study, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Phyllis Mauch Messenger

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  1. Phyllis Mauch Messenger
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Correspondence to Phyllis Mauch Messenger .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Archaeology, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Claire Smith

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Messenger, P.M. (2014). Ethics of Collecting Cultural Heritage. In: Smith, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0465-2_1175

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0465-2_1175

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-0426-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-0465-2

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