Museum staff--whether new to the field or working with collections for decades--are often overwhelmed by the complexities of acquiring cultural property, particularly antiquities and archaeological material. Collecting practices now require a greater degree of transparency and cooperation with various stakeholders than in the past, and are under greater scrutiny to be in line with current legal requirements and ethical expectations. This book provides a concise, unbiased, and practical resource for those tasked with navigating the complicated and rapidly changing legal and ethical landscape governing the acquisition of cultural property and archaeological material.

Museum staff--whether new to the field or working with collections for decades--are often overwhelmed by the complexities of acquiring cultural property, particularly antiquities and archaeological material. Collecting practices now require a greater degree of transparency and cooperation with various stakeholders than in the past, and are under greater scrutiny to be in line with current legal requirements and ethical expectations. This book provides a concise, unbiased, and practical resource for those tasked with navigating the complicated and rapidly changing legal and ethical landscape governing the acquisition of cultural property and archaeological material.

Advances in the knowledge of the tangible components (position, size, shape) and intangible components (identity, habits) of an historic building or site involves fundamental and complex tasks in any project related to the conservation of cultural heritage (CH). In recent years, new geotechnologies have proven their usefulness and added value to the field of cultural heritage (CH) in the tasks of recording, modeling, conserving, and visualizing. In addition, current developments in building information modeling (HBIM), allow integration and simulation of different sources of information, generating a digital twin of any complex CH construction. As a result, experts in the area have increased the number of available sensors and methodologies. However, the quick evolution of geospatial technologies makes it necessary to revise their use, integration, and application in CH. This process is difficult to adopt, due to the new options which are opened for the study, analysis, management, and valorization of CH. Therefore, the aim of the present Special Issue is to cover the latest relevant topics, trends, and best practices in geospatial technologies and processing methodologies for CH sites and scenarios as well as to introduce the new tendencies. This book originates from the Special Issue “Data Acquisition and Processing in Cultural Heritage”, focusing primarily on data and sensor integration for CH; documentation/restoration in CH; heritage 3D documentation and modeling of complex CH sites; drone inspections in CH; software development in CH; and augmented reality in CH. It is hoped that this book will provide the advice and guidance required for any CH professional, making the best possible use of these sensors and methods in CH.

Museum staff--whether new to the field or working with collections for decades--are often overwhelmed by the complexities of acquiring cultural property, particularly antiquities and archaeological material. Collecting practices now require a greater degree of transparency and cooperation with various stakeholders than in the past, and are under greater scrutiny to be in line with current legal requirements and ethical expectations. This book provides a concise, unbiased, and practical resource for those tasked with navigating the complicated and rapidly changing legal and ethical landscape governing the acquisition of cultural property and archaeological material.

This series of short volumes, each devoted to a theme which is the subject of contemporary debate in archaeology, ranges from issues in theory and method to aspects of world archaeology. If 'all property is theft', then cultural property is nothing less than the theft of culture. The term 'cultural property' is widespread in the field of heritage management and is a particularly powerful concept in legal approaches. The term and the concept it represents are never discussed, however. The idea that material that comes to us from the past should be considered 'property' accordingly seems to be taken for granted by those charged with its care. Any debate that does take place is limited to comparing private with state ownership, often under the pretence that the latter represents a form of 'stewardship'. This radical work seeks to challenge the dominance of these limiting ideas by looking for alternatives. Taking as a starting-point the four different types of property relation generally recognised by lawyers and economists, the book explores the implications for cultural objects of different property regimes.In presenting an argument that the concept of 'property' is inappropriate for the heritage, the book challenges much that is taken for granted and undiscussed in the field of heritage management.

Public and private institutions in the United States have long been home to a variety of art works, antiquities, and ethnological materials. For years, these collections have been seen as important archives that allow present and future generations to enjoy, appreciate, and value the art of all cultures. The past decade, however, has seen major changes in law and public policy and an active, ongoing debate over legal and ethical issues affecting the ownership of art and other cultural property. Contributors to Who Owns the Past? include legal scholars, museum professionals, anthropologists, archaeologists, and collectors. In clear, nontechnical language, they provide a comprehensive overview of the development of cultural property law and practices, as well as recent case law affecting the ability of museums and private collectors to own art from other countries. Topics covered include rights to property, ethical ownership, the public responsibilities of museums, threats to art from war, pillage, and development, and international cooperation to preserve collections in the developing world. Engaging all perspectives on this debate, Who Owns the Past? challenges all who care about the arts to work together toward policies that consider traditional American interests in securing cultural resources and respect international concerns over loss of heritage.

The international controversy over who "owns" antiquities has pitted museums against archaeologists and source countries where ancient artifacts are found. In his book Who Owns Antiquity?, James Cuno argued that antiquities are the cultural property of humankind, not of the countries that lay exclusive claim to them. Now in Whose Culture?, Cuno assembles preeminent museum directors, curators, and scholars to explain for themselves what's at stake in this struggle--and why the museums' critics couldn't be more wrong. Source countries and archaeologists favor tough cultural property laws restricting the export of antiquities, have fought for the return of artifacts from museums worldwide, and claim the acquisition of undocumented antiquities encourages looting of archaeological sites. In Whose Culture?, leading figures from universities and museums in the United States and Britain argue that modern nation-states have at best a dubious connection with the ancient cultures they claim to represent, and that archaeology has been misused by nationalistic identity politics. They explain why exhibition is essential to responsible acquisitions, why our shared art heritage trumps nationalist agendas, why restrictive cultural property laws put antiquities at risk from unstable governments--and more. Defending the principles of art as the legacy of all humankind and museums as instruments of inquiry and tolerance, Whose Culture? brings reasoned argument to an issue that for too long has been distorted by politics and emotionalism. In addition to the editor, the contributors are Kwame Anthony Appiah, Sir John Boardman, Michael F. Brown, Derek Gillman, Neil MacGregor, John Henry Merryman, Philippe de Montebello, David I. Owen, and James C. Y. Watt.