Abstract
Documents from the 1950-60s showing plans of the Israel Department of Antiquities to sell "double antiquities" to the public. The idea started from letters sent by a private collcetor, who pointed out that this habit was not new- since during the British Mandate period, the Palestine Arcaheological Museum ("Rockefeller") had sold antiquities that it did not need to the public.
A budget-item was opened for the Department for "sale of antiquities", as an experiment; the Department convinced the Treasury that such sale is not lucrative, really, since they need to clean and mend the finds and also register the sales; but finally NOTHING was ever sold. We discuss why and compare this affair to more recent ideas, hoping that it will help to put them to rest.
A budget-item was opened for the Department for "sale of antiquities", as an experiment; the Department convinced the Treasury that such sale is not lucrative, really, since they need to clean and mend the finds and also register the sales; but finally NOTHING was ever sold. We discuss why and compare this affair to more recent ideas, hoping that it will help to put them to rest.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Field Archaeology |
| Volume | 31 |
| Pages (from-to) | 317-327 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISSN | 0093-4690 |
| Publication status | Published - 2006 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Fields of Science
- 615 History and Archaeology
- heritage
- Antiquities
- Israel
- British Mandate
- Palestine
- Antiquities market
- illicit excavations
- Antiquities trade
- Legislation