Archaeology as a profession faces two major problems.
First, it is the poorest of the poor. Only paltry sums are available for excavating and even less
is available for publishing the results and preserving the sites once excavated. Yet
archaeologists deal with priceless objects every day.
Second, there is the problem of illegal excavation, resulting in museum-quality pieces being
sold to the highest bidder.
I would like to make an outrageous suggestion that would at one stroke provide funds for
archaeology and reduce the amount of illegal digging. I would propose that scientific
archeological expeditions and governmental authorities sell excavated artifacts on the open
market. Such sales would provide substantial funds for the excavation and preservation of
archaeological sites and the publication of results. At the same time, they would break the
illegal excavator’s grip on the market, thereby decreasing the inducement to engage in illegal
activities.
You might object that professionals excavate to acquire knowledge, not money. Moreover,
ancient artifacts are part of our global cultural heritage, which should be available for all to
appreciate, not sold to the highest bidder. I agree. Sell nothing that has unique artistic merit or
scientific value. But, you might reply, everything that comes out of the ground has scientific
value. Here we part company. Theoretically, you may be correct in claiming that every
artifact has potential scientific value. Practically, you are wrong.
I refer to the thousands of pottery vessels and ancient lamps that are essentially duplicates of
one another. In one small excavation in Cyprus, archaeologists recently uncovered 2,000
virtually indistinguishable small jugs in a single courtyard, even precious royal seal
impressions known as melekh handles have been found in abundance — more than 4,000
examples so far.
The basement of museums is simply not large enough to store the artifacts that are likely to
be discovered in the future. There is not enough money even to catalogue the finds; as a
result, they cannot be found again and become as inaccessible as if they had never been
discovered. Indeed, with the help of a computer, sold artifacts could be more accessible than
are the pieces stored in bulging museum basements. Prior to sale, each could be photographed
and the list of the purchasers could be maintained on the computer A purchaser could even be
required to agree to return the piece if it should become needed for scientific purposes. It
would be unrealistic to suggest that illegal digging would stop if artifacts were sold in the
open market. But the demand for the clandestine product would be substantially reduced.
Who would want an unmarked pot when another was available whose provenance was
known, and that was dated stratigraphically by the professional archaeologist who excavated
it?
Answers
Answer:
Archaeology as a profession faces two major problems.
First, it is the poorest of the poor. Only paltry sums are available for excavating and even less
is available for publishing the results and preserving the sites once excavated. Yet
archaeologists deal with priceless objects every day.
Second, there is the problem of illegal excavation, resulting in museum-quality pieces being
sold to the highest bidder.
I would like to make an outrageous suggestion that would at one stroke provide funds for
archaeology and reduce the amount of illegal digging. I would propose that scientific
archeological expeditions and governmental authorities sell excavated artifacts on the open
market. Such sales would provide substantial funds for the excavation and preservation of
archaeological sites and the publication of results. At the same time, they would break the
illegal excavator’s grip on the market, thereby decreasing the inducement to engage in illegal
activities.
You might object that professionals excavate to acquire knowledge, not money. Moreover,
ancient artifacts are part of our global cultural heritage, which should be available for all to
appreciate, not sold to the highest bidder. I agree. Sell nothing that has unique artistic merit or
scientific value. But, you might reply, everything that comes out of the ground has scientific
value. Here we part company. Theoretically, you may be correct in claiming that every
artifact has potential scientific value. Practically, you are wrong.
I refer to the thousands of pottery vessels and ancient lamps that are essentially duplicates of
one another. In one small excavation in Cyprus, archaeologists recently uncovered 2,000
virtually indistinguishable small jugs in a single courtyard, even precious royal seal
impressions known as melekh handles have been found in abundance — more than 4,000
examples so far.
The basement of museums is simply not large enough to store the artifacts that are likely to
be discovered in the future. There is not enough money even to catalogue the finds; as a
result, they cannot be found again and become as inaccessible as if they had never been
discovered. Indeed, with the help of a computer, sold artifacts could be more accessible than
are the pieces stored in bulging museum basements. Prior to sale, each could be photographed
and the list of the purchasers could be maintained on the computer A purchaser could even be
required to agree to return the piece if it should become needed for scientific purposes. It
would be unrealistic to suggest that illegal digging would stop if artifacts were sold in the
open market. But the demand for the clandestine product would be substantially reduced.
Who would want an unmarked pot when another was available whose provenance was
known, and that was dated stratigraphically by the professional archaeologist who excavated
it?
Answer:
kandhe
se
milte
hai
kandhe
kadamo
se
kadam
milte
hai
hum
chalte
hai
jab
aise
tho
dil
dushman
ke
hilte
hai
Explanation:
maze karo aur sath me padhai bhi