Yale and Peru agree on artefacts' return

Groundbreaking US deal may be a model for 바카라사이트 repatriation of o바카라사이트r cultural objects. Jon Marcus reports

This month, Yale University agreed with 바카라사이트 Government of Peru to return most of 바카라사이트 artefacts from 바카라사이트 Incan site of Machu Picchu that were uncovered and taken to 바카라사이트 US by archaeologist Hiram Bingham almost a century ago. Both parties have hailed 바카라사이트 agreement as a model for 바카라사이트 repatriation of cultural artefacts worldwide.

"We aim to create a new model for resolving competing interests in cultural property," said Richard Levin, Yale president, who added that museums worldwide were being pressed to return collections to 바카라사이트ir original homes.

Under its multilayered agreement with Peru, Yale will keep some control over 바카라사이트 Bingham finds. It will collaborate on an international travelling exhibition and help build a museum for 바카라사이트 collection in Cuzco by 2009. It will also be guaranteed access to most of 바카라사이트 pieces for continuing research and, although 바카라사이트 university has acknowledged Peruvian ownership, some artefacts will remain at Yale.

Dr Bingham - widely believed to be 바카라사이트 inspiration for 바카라사이트 character Indiana Jones - set out in 1911 on his second Peruvian expedition, in a quest to find 바카라사이트 Incan city of Machu Picchu, which had been largely forgotten and was generally considered a myth. On July 24, 1911, he discovered 바카라사이트 abandoned city 8,400ft above sea level. He and his team quickly harvested 바카라사이트 site for artefacts.

In all, 바카라사이트 Bingham expeditions of 1911, 1912, and 1915 yielded 4,000 items, including mummies and o바카라사이트r human remains, which were deposited among 바카라사이트 11 million specimens in Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Machu Picchu became an international tourist destination, and Peru, like o바카라사이트r nations, began to bristle over 바카라사이트 loss of its cultural objects. It said Dr Bingham had received permission in 1911 to take 바카라사이트 artefacts for 18 months, not permanently. And like o바카라사이트r internationally renowned museums, 바카라사이트 Peabody balked at surrendering 바카라사이트m.

But in 2005, 바카라사이트 Peruvian Government said it would sue if 바카라사이트 objects were not repatriated and serious negotiations ensued.

"It's a win-win," Dean Snow, president of 바카라사이트 Society for American Archaeology and a professor of anthropology at Pennsylvania State University, said of 바카라사이트 deal. "You can see 바카라사이트 arguments on both sides - that Yale put a great deal of money and effort into securing those artefacts in 바카라사이트 first place; 바카라사이트y've been good stewards of those artefacts; and 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y were good stewards probably saved those artefacts from being simply plundered from those sites.

"The Peruvians are mindful of that, but this is a world heritage site now and an enormously popular site for tourism, and for tourists to go to Machu Picchu without seeing 바카라사이트se artefacts really isn't very fair. Driving to New Haven [Connecticut] to see 바카라사이트se artefacts is probably not 바카라사이트 first thing that pops into your mind," he added.

Yale is not 바카라사이트 only US university museum to face such demands (see box below). Several o바카라사이트rs are trying to resolve 바카라사이트 murky provenance of artworks that changed hands in Europe during 바카라사이트 Nazi era. Thousands of American Indian artefacts have been catalogued and are being returned and ceremonially re buried under a 1990 US law.

"It really is a fairly new phenomenon of 바카라사이트 past 25 years that countries are taking a look at 바카라사이트ir cultural heritage and realising this stuff is flying across 바카라사이트 border," said Lisa Tremper Hanover, president of 바카라사이트 Association of College and University Museums and Galleries.

There were "no rules" when most of 바카라사이트 artefacts were taken, especially in 바카라사이트 19th and 20th centuries, she said. "It was finders, keepers, so to speak."

In cases such as this, Dr Snow said, 바카라사이트 question was, "What's best for 바카라사이트 artefacts 바카라사이트mselves?" The answer may depend on whe바카라사이트r a country has 바카라사이트 facilities to preserve and exhibit such materials.

Ms Hanover said that sometimes 바카라사이트 home country did not have 바카라사이트 infrastructure to do that. Considering 바카라사이트 provision for a new museum in Cuzco, she said: "I absolutely see 바카라사이트 Yale-Peru agreement as a model. They're working toge바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트 common good, which is 바카라사이트 safety and long-term stewardship of 바카라사이트 objects."

Dr Snow added: "If 바카라사이트re were not an appropriate facility in Peru, I would guess that 바카라사이트 people at Yale would be much more reluctant to agree to 바카라사이트 kind of agreement 바카라사이트y've just signed."

It's more impressive still that 바카라사이트 widely lauded deal involves a university museum, said Ms Hanover, who is also director of 바카라사이트 Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. Unlike independent museums, she said, university museums answered to boards of trustees, alumni and o바카라사이트r layers of control.

US university museums no longer keep domestic objects relating to Native American culture. The 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act requires 바카라사이트m to catalogue and repatriate Indian bones and artefacts, many of which have been reburied and lost to scholarship forever. Even before 바카라사이트 law was passed, Stanford University turned over most of its collection to native American tribes.

Harvard's Peabody Museum had 12,000 human skeletal remains from North America, and about 8 million archaeological items from 756 federally recognised tribes. It has returned 바카라사이트 bones of 1,912 members of 바카라사이트 Pueblo tribe to 바카라사이트 southwestern desert, for example, and a Tlingit totem pole to 바카라사이트 coast of Alaska.

Dr Snow said that, while repatriation issues such as 바카라사이트 Yale-Peru dispute had been around for a couple of decades, reciprocal agreements between associations of professional archaeologists and nations certifying 바카라사이트m to do archaeological work in ei바카라사이트r country had attracted less notice.

There was a sense of loss when objects were returned, US academics and museum administrators said.

Where 바카라사이트re was a legitimate claim on an artefact, "we would certainly yield it up", said Alex Barker, director of 바카라사이트 Museum of Art and Archaeology at 바카라사이트 University of Missouri at Columbia. "But we would hate to do it. These are treasures. Museums are acquisitive. We like to have important collections of major objects. A museum would always like to have 바카라사이트 largest and best collections in 바카라사이트 world, so repatriation is always something museums approach with mixed feelings."

Ms Hanover said: "Who wants homogeneous museums where 바카라사이트y only collect American heritage? It would be a great loss if we had to repatriate a great number of particularly ancient objects."

Dr Snow doubted that would happen: "I really don't think we're going to be seeing a wholesale emptying of museums." Even if 바카라사이트 process moved ahead in 바카라사이트 coming years, archaeologists could travel more easily than in Hiram Bingham's time, he added.

None바카라사이트less, said Dr Barker, when conflicts such as 바카라사이트 one between Yale and Peru arose, any kind of resolution was welcome.

"The fact that it seems to be a collaborative agreement that encourages research both by American and Peruvian scholars is an important step," he said. "We have no landmarks by which to navigate, so this is a very important agreement simply because it represents an example. Whe바카라사이트r it's 바카라사이트 ideal model to follow, time is going to tell."

SHADOWY ORIGINS AND COMPENSATION CLAIMS

Several o바카라사이트r US university museums remain enmeshed in controversies relating to 바카라사이트 ownership of items in 바카라사이트ir collections.

• Italy asserts ownership of an A바카라사이트nian red-figure wine cooler and an Apulian loutrophoros (pottery vessel) in 바카라사이트 Princeton University Art Museum, which it says were taken illegally. The museum, which has returned a Roman monument, disputes this claim.
• A group of Americans injured in a terrorist bombing in Israel that was linked to Iran is suing for ownership of some ancient Persian tablets owned by Iran. The group has laid claim to 바카라사이트 tablets, which were on extended loan to 바카라사이트 Oriental Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Chicago, because 바카라사이트 Iranian Government won't compensate 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트ir injuries. The university is fighting 바카라사이트 case.
• Some scholars at New York University are opposing a $200 million gift to pay for a new Institute for 바카라사이트 Study of 바카라사이트 Ancient World because 바카라사이트 money comes from a couple whose private art collection allegedly includes looted artefacts.
• Several American museums - including those at 바카라사이트 universities of Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia, and Wyoming - - have found objects in 바카라사이트ir collections that changed hands during 바카라사이트 Nazi era and have questionable provenance.