Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Oscar Muscarella, SAFE and the "Fifth Columnn" of the "Plunder Culture"

According to former Met senior research fellow Oscar Muscarella in an article publicized on the SAFE website, there is a "Fifth Column" within the archaeological community, that purports to decry looting, but is all too willing to facilitate a "plunder culture." See: http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/2009/10/oscar-muscarellas-fifth-column-of.html

Muscarella names names, including current AIA President Brian Rose. After reading Muscarella's denunciations of Rose and others for their alleged lack of purity, one might ask why Muscarella accepted paychecks from the "evil" Met as long as he did.

1 comment:

Ed Snible said...

I am neither a looter, smuggler, dealer, or wealthy collector. Muscaralla should update his list to include middle-class collectors, working-class collectors, and students. The addition brings us columns six through eight.

I'd like to see Muscarella on The History Channel. He could show some EF Roman bronze coins that cost $20 and denounce their buyers. The video could show some school children buying coins online with Muscarella's stern lecture in the background warning parents of the danger of incenting looters.