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22nd October 2008, 10:12 PM
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bl...8/oct/21/1
Was reading the Guardian this morning.. but almost missed this little nugget..
Quote:quote:In response to growing pressure from international law enforcement agencies and conservation groups, eBay, has announced that it would ban all commerce in ivory, including most heirlooms.
It seems that Ebay can ban sales if it comes under enough pressure... so what about antiquities??
ie: the good old... "from an old English collection" .. who? from where? has it real providence? If not.. then NO to sale.
come on EBAY... you know you can...
And no...I don't mean NO sale...I mean properly regulated and transparent.. :face-approve: :face-stir:
"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers
For really I think that the poorest he that is in England hath a life to live, as the greatest he
Thomas Rainborough 1647
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23rd October 2008, 12:14 AM
You could just say it was bone. Are they going to come and check?
Providence? a Freudian slip?
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23rd October 2008, 11:10 AM
indeed it may have been... in fact... I won't even correct it!
"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers
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24th October 2008, 07:03 PM
I wonder whether that ban includes mammoth ivory? I understand that there is at least a limited (and perfectly legal) trade in this material.
"Hidden wisdom and buried treasure, what use is there in either?" (Ecclesiasticus ch20 v30)
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25th October 2008, 12:26 PM
If the trade in mammoth ivory is limited,then it could be doing the conservation of elephants no favour at all!after all whats more important, ivory from dead mammoths flooding the market or keeping alive whats left of the elephant population.:face-huh:
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27th October 2008, 09:37 AM
It seems we are the only archaeology forum in the UK actually talking about this.. and its relation to the trade in antiquities. As you will know, I can't ever agree with it... and am surprised that some people think this is a 'pro-collecting' site. I am supportive of those that share and enhance our knowledge, and disagree continually with the sale of artifacts in general, however, if an item is 'surplus' or in such quantities as to be ubiquitous, and useful information has been recovered.. what then? Regulation is required... Pressure applied .. understanding of the parameters
As humans we are inveterate collectors.. it is what we collect, the responsibility attached to it, and how we collect. Damaging a resource just to have a small part of it is indefensible.... whether ivory nik-nak or sumerian tablet. Whether viking grave or old book, cut up for tourist tat.
"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers
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27th October 2008, 12:12 PM
"or in such quantities"
Ssuch as all the roman pottery we have by the lorry load per square foot-i've often heard folks joke about selling bags of it to the tourists. The question is -what do we do with some artifacts when they ARE in such quantity?:face-huh:
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27th October 2008, 12:49 PM
Sir Mortimer Wheeler (allegedly) sold sling shot to tourists for a shilling each to find his Maiden Castle excavations!!
Problem with the bulk of finds is that they disappear into a warehouse somewhere, never to be seen again - if we are going to excavate and curate vast tonnages of finds, the burning question is "How do we persuade the politicians that funding should be available so that archives can be properly stored, in such a way that anyone who wants to look at them or use them for research, at any level, can get access to them?" With the follow on "How do we get the results of research into the public domain in a way that the layman finds interesting and informative so that they get some benefit from the amount of archaeological work being done with their money (even developer funding ultimately comes down to Joe and Jane Public paying for it via the costs of products!)
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27th October 2008, 02:44 PM
What Sir Mortimer Wheeler actually sold was a load of rounded pebbles that had been collected off Chesil Beach
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27th October 2008, 03:43 PM
This is where the 'weight' of evidence comes in....
I know of one site recently where an area of bottles and other glassware (19th century) covered an area of something like 2 football pitches in size --- so do you a) collect them all! or b collect a sample.. and forget the rest... very sensible chose made was to take the sample... so what about the rest? ... why not sell them? they have no further information to be gained... similar to a mass of any other item... when the maximum available info has been gained... do we need it any more? This does not count for undeciphered Sumerian tablets of course!
"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers
