![]() ![]() Repatriation means the return of cultural items or individuals that were removed from their homeland. While some countries have been arguing about artifacts, the United States deals with repatriation that involves human remains and passed a law to guide the process. Greece has been pleading with England to return the Elgin marbles for over twenty years and even built a museum to house them after the British Museum voiced concerns about their long-term storage. Egypt is also not alone in its desire for it cultural heritage back. Egypt, in particular, has been insistent that some of the most famous artifacts, like the Rosetta Stone, should be returned immediately. ![]() Repatriation between countries like England and Egypt is very different from the process created for the United States. In more modern times, many of these countries wanted these stolen artifacts back, and repatriation was born. The discovery of gold, jewels, and fantastic art fascinated people around the world and started a new rush in the antiquities trade. It reached a fever pitch in 1922 when Howard Carter discovered the undisturbed tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Egyptomania started in the early 1800s when wealthy Europeans would visit Egypt and buy archaeological artifacts to bring home. The removal of these fascinating and “exotic” seeming artifacts created what historians call “Egyptomania,” though the fever did not just apply to the archaeology of Ancient Egypt. The history of repatriation is long because the history of people taking things is long. Another famous ancient artifact, the Bust of Nefertiti, was removed by German archaeologists in the early 20 th century and shipped back to Berlin, where it has stayed ever since.Įlgin Marbles in the British Museum (Photo from Tony French/Alamy) British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Thomas Bruce, removed the famous marble carvings from the Parthenon and shipped them home to England, where they were eventually housed in the British Museum. Napoleon, however, was not the only one to take an interest in the archaeology of the ancient world. He took many artifacts and shipped them back to France in an effort to show his people the wonders he was experiencing. While there, he became fascinated by Ancient Egypt and even fancied himself a scientist and archaeologist. In 1798, French General Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt. From the Parthenon marbles to human remains in museum storage, the idea of repatriation can trace its beginning to the late 1700s and early 1800s. Repatriation has a long history within the United States and around the world. ![]()
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