Friday, May 9, 2014

Collecting Egyptian Not So Bad?

We've heard recently from the archaeological blogosphere that collecting ancient Egyptian artifacts is somehow wrong.  Yet, former Egyptian Antiquities Minister Zahi Hawass has been kind enough to offer the proceeds of a lecture he is giving so that  the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco can purchase a wooden statuette of Seneb, scribe of royal documents.  Presumably, the artifact was legitimately acquired sometime ago, but details are not readily apparent on the Legion's website.  And even if so, is there any proof that the artifact was legally exported from Egypt before 1983, as Egyptian officials purport to require?

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