Provenance And Scholarship Do A Dance

The study of old artifacts is becoming problematic when it comes to looking at objects. “On one side are archaeologists and other experts who say that most objects without a clear record of ownership or site of origin were looted, and that the publication of such material aggrandizes collectors and encourages the illicit trade. On the other side are those who argue that ignoring such works may be even more damaging to scholarship than the destruction caused by looting.”