A follow-up article to Malcolm Brabant’s broadcast about the New Acropolis Museum. The museum has been & in the minds of many people, always will be controversial, due to its proximity to one of the worlds most iconic archaeological sites. Once the building opens however, many perceptions will change & evolve as people finally get a chance to experience the building themselves.

From:
BBC News

Page last updated at 01:05 GMT, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 02:05 UK
New home for Greece’s holy grail
By Malcolm Brabant
BBC News, in Athens

The Acropolis Museum is now just months away from entering service in Greece’s struggle with its most implacable cultural adversary.

Its priceless treasures lie in marble halls, hidden from view in giant removal boxes.

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Some more information on the return of the lekythos to Greece yesterday from Switzerland. Looting Matters also discusses this event in more detail, looking at the secrecy that seems to surround some of the coverage of it.

Greek Culture Minister Mihalis Liapis has also used this event to highlight again the need for the Elgin Marbles to be returned.

From:
MSNBC

Ancient urn returns to Greece
Campaign underway to reclaim illegally exported antiquities
Associated Press

updated 3:41 p.m. ET April 21, 2008ATHENS, Greece - A 2,400-year-old funerary urn has been returned to Greece and put on display, part of a campaign to reclaim illegally exported antiquities from museums and art dealers around the world.

The marble urn was displayed Monday at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

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Following negotiations by the Greek Government, a lekythos or flask used for oil has now returned to Athens from a private collection in Switzerland.

From:
Athens News Agency

04/21/2008
Ancient lekythos returned

Culture Minister Mihalis Liapis on Monday officially presented an ancient marble oil flask or lekythos dating from the 4th century B.C. that was returned to Greece from a private collection in Switzerland, at a press conference held at the National Archaeological Museum.

The procedure to repatriate the ancient artifact was completed last Thursday and in a few days it will be taken to the museum’s conservation workshops, where it will remain for two months.

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More information on the remaining sculptures still on the Parthenon. Their potential removal constitutes an ethical issue with strong opinions on both sides of the archaeological world on the best route forward.

From:
Agence France Presse

Last Parthenon marbles threatened by pollution: archaeologist
4 days ago

ATHENS (AFP) — A senior Greek archaeologist warned this week that the last original sculptures still adorning the Parthenon, Athens’ iconic ancient temple, face a major pollution threat and must be removed to a museum.

“There are still 17 original metopes (sculpted plaques) which must be protected because they can no longer endure atmospheric conditions,” Acropolis site supervisor Alexandros Mantis told AFP on Friday.

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The restoration project on the Parthenon is proceeding, with removal of more parts of the building for cleaning.

From:
Kathimerini (English Edition)

Thursday April 10, 2008
Parthenon restoration up a gear

The restoration of the pollution-ravaged friezes of the Parthenon is set to gather pace, with the removal of a further 17 metopes from the Athens landmark for cleaning, the Culture Ministry’s Central Archaeological Council (KAS) said yesterday.

Of these 17 metopes, 14 will be from the west side of the Parthenon which, experts say, is in a “lamentable state.” Another metope – depicting a Centauromachy – will be taken down from the south side and two more from the north side.

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Apparently, some part of the Parthenon is for sale online. What part this is & how it was obtained remains unclear at this point in time. The one thing that is clear is that this would appear to be happening in complete disregard of various laws that are designed to prevent the unauthorised sale of ancient artefacts.

From:
Balkan Travellers

Balkan Travellers
7 April 2008
A marble from the Parthenon in Athens is being sold on the Internet, Greek media reported.

The starting price in the bid is 50,000 US dollars, according to the Antena television station. As proof of the antique object’s authenticity, it was reported, a recording of its being stolen was offered.

The report added that while the marble’s seller is anonymous, there is information on his identity and Greek authorities were informed.

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A decision was taken yesterday by the Greece’s Central Archaeological Council, voting 18:5 for the demolition of the two buildings on the New Acropolis Museum site.

It is thought that amongst other reasons, the requirement to excavate the archaeological remains believed to be underneath these buildings played a part in the eventual decision.

Note that these are not the two buildings in front of the museum that have stirred up significant controversy, but that they are on another part of the site. It is thought though that this decision will pave the way for the demolition of the two buildings at the front off the site.

Articles from the Greek pres detailing this decision are here & here (no English articles yet).

Following the opening of the Athens UNESCO conference on the Return of Stolen Artefacts to their Countries of Origin, Greek President Karolos Papoulias was taken on a tour of the New Acropolis Museum by Culture Minister Mihalis Liapis.

From:
Athens News Agency

03/20/2008
Return of cultural property con’f

An international 2-day conference on the timely issue of “Return of Cultural Property to its Country of Origin” began at the New Acropolis Museum of Athens on Monday.

Culture Minister Mihalis Liapis welcomed delegates — which include attorneys, museum curators, archaeologists, academics and art experts — to the conference, organised by the Greek culture ministry in cooperation with UNESCO.

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At the Athens UNESCO conference on the Return of Cultural Property to its country of Origin, The Greek Culture Minister used his opening speech to highlight the growing momentum behind the campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marbles.

From:
Reuters

Greece says momentum growing for Marbles’ return
Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:09am EDT
By Karolos Grohmann

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece said on Monday momentum was growing for the return of the prized Parthenon marbles, taken from the Athens Acropolis some 200 years ago by Britain’s Lord Elgin, as major museums handed back more ancient objects.

Museums around the world have in recent years started returning ancient artifacts to their countries of origin and have tightened checks on acquisitions to avoid buying objects that were illegally excavated or smuggled abroad.

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I’ve just returned from the Athens UNESCO conference on the return of cultural property, held in the New Acropolis Museum. A lot of different cases were covered, along with many conflicting viewpoints. There was a definite consensus there though that the Parthenon Marbles ought to be returned.

From:
Kathimerini (English Edition)

Saturday March 15, 2008 - Archive
International conference on cultural returns at the New Acropolis Museum
HELBI

Nobody can stop an idea whose time has finally come. This column has written on many occasions about how the issue of the return of the Parthenon Marbles has gone from being a national demand to an international imperative, supported by leading figures from around the world who want to see the parts of the UNESCO-listed monument reunited. But it will take more than being in the right to get back the marbles that Thomas Bruce, the seventh earl of Elgin, dismantled and took away in 1801, when Athens was under Ottoman rule. With the permission of the sultan, Lord Elgin, then the British ambassador to Constantinople, had the Parthenon friezes cut up and transported to England, where they were bought by the British government. It, in turn, donated them to the British Museum in London where they have remained since.

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Greek Culture Minister Mihalis Liapis has just opened an exhibition on the New Acropolis Museum in China. He is also discussing with officials there, issues relating to the smuggling of ancient artefacts - a problem that affects both countries.

From:
Athens News Agency

02/27/2008
Liapis in China

Greek Culture Minister Mihalis Liapis held a meeting in Beijing with Chinese Deputy Culture Minister and President of the Cultural Heritage Protection Authority Jixiang Shan on Tuesday. A cooperation memorandum was signed between the two countries during the meeting on cracking down on antiquities smuggling.

Following a proposal made by Liapis, it was agreed that a wider initiative must be assumed between countries harmed by antiquities smuggling on the claiming and returning of cultural goods exported illegally.

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During the last few weeks I’ve cleared out a lot of the dead links from the sidebar (shame on you Greek Ministry of Culture for breaking every single link when updating your website). I’ve also added a number of new sites & blogs that I’ve discovered in the last year.

I’ll try & summarise them in the order they appear.

In Other Information, I’ve added the Hellenic Society for Law & Archaeology, The Institute for Art & Law (I’m not sure why I hadn’t added them before), the Lawyers Committee for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. A few of the other links have been updated to point to the correct location for sites that have moved.

In Relevant Blogs, there are a number of recent additions. Mary Beard’s Blog for The Times, A Don’s Life, often covers issues relating to cultural heritage. Cultural Heritage News has regular updates on all sorts of news relating to cultural heritage. The Illicit Cultural Property blog covers any issues relating to cultural property policy. I have already referred to Richard Lacayo’s excellent blog, Looking Around for Time Magazine, in many previous posts. Looting Matters covers the ethics surrounding the collecting of antiquities. SAFE Corner is a blog connected to the Saving Antiquities For Everyone, in the Similar Cases category. The Art Law Blog covers all issues where art & law coincide - many of which are relevant to the focus of Elginism. The Assemblage similarly covers the crossover between archaeology & politics. The History Blog also has interesting & relevant articles.

In Similar Cases, I’ve added the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Centre & updated the link to the Illicit Antiquities Research Centre at Cambridge University, which sadly seems to have ceased operation, but their website still remains intact with a wealth of information available on it through the back issues of the publication - Culture Without Context.