British Museum: "what's a country of origin?"
I came here to say this, BM is the worst.
It's fun to say this, but at least BM is really able to do their main job and preserve the artifacts.
There's dozens of cases where the original sites have been looted or destroyed by the origin country's own leaders.
Storing the artifacts outside of the influence of an area's internal issues is actually really wise. The BM's real wrongdoing is not paying anything for the artifacts they've took. I argue they've done enough good to offset that a little. They're bad but not the worst.
British museum is truly terrible, but tbh the only reason people know about it and know to tag on it is because they try to reckon with their existence. Just over the channel in France is Musée du Quai Branly, which was originally going to be called “museum of the primitive arts”, that first of all costs money (BM is free) but also does a terrible job of explaining what the items are and who stole them from whom. BM tries to contextualiza what they stole and when and from whom, Quai Branly is a straight up colonial museum (there are other worse museums in Europe)
There's only the country of destination
If you're speaking of the geographic coordinate system, england IS the origin 🤷
Imagine all these country's have trash that is worthless.
Some British guy comes along and says I "hey see that over there can I buy it?" "What that trash?" "Yes" "Sure thing dipshit"
Then instead of being destroyed like everything else it gains value and then they want it back.
Yea sure I also want my dads apple shares he sold in 1985 because I didn't realise they would be valuable in the future when he sold them.
Most of the stuff was bought.
But even the conquest shit. People have been conquesting each other for ever. Suddenly you want to take stuff back of one country that just happened to be good at it in the days when everyone agreed that was how the world worked.
What's the difference between a british archeologist and a grave robber?
The Diploma
“MY MUSEUM”
Permanently Deleted
Rest of the world being British museum inventory
What is the country of origin? Please point out to me where the Aztec country is. Do you mean Mexico? Are they entitled to all the relics of the past civilizations theirs crushed? And yes, I know the idol in Indiana Jones isn't really Aztec, but the overall point stands.
With the exception of the very few cases where a country can actually trace its culture and history all the way back to when those artifacts were made, ancient culture and artifacts belong to humanity as a whole, not whatever geopolitical entity happens to control the land they're on at the time of discovery. It's not a natural resource, it's human history.
It should be as close to the origin as possible. Sure Mexico isnt fully "Aztec'" but it's the closest option, certainly closer than anyone else
Sure, I'm 100% for returning every single aztec and mayan artefact to Mexico once they stop being a shit hole. Until then let them be seen and educate millions of people in their museums in Berlin, London, and Paris.
I'm all against theft. But once they reach the Mexican soil they will end up in some narco gang dealer villa and they'll just do coke off of it.
The country of origin wouldn't appreciate it in a museum.
Maybe it's you that belongs in a museum
I dont think you appreciate your car so its fine if I steal it, right?
I don't think people understand that I was speaking from the perspective of the academic adventure archeologists.
