‘Exporting’ History

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Greece’s parliament approved a new law this week that will allow the exhibition of rare antiquities outside the country, a move that has raised concerns among archaeologists that it could lead to the long-term “export” of rare artifacts, Agence France-Presse reported.

The legislation affects five of the country’s top state museums, including the National Archaeological Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens – which hold some of Greece’s most priceless antiquities.

It will allow the five institutions to create satellite branches outside Greece, which government officials said would give museums more freedom to plan exhibitions and raise sponsorship.

The parliamentary vote comes as the Greek government negotiates with the British Museum for the return of the Pantheon Marbles – sculptures held by the United Kingdom since the 19th century.

Last week, the Financial Times reported on a secret meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and British Museum chair George Osborne where they discussed the exchange of Greek antiquities in return for some of the Parthenon Marbles.

Santorini’s stunning frescoes, dating to 1700 BCE, have been considered as potential candidates for such a swap.

Even so, the association of Greek archaeologists cautioned that important artifacts could be sent abroad indefinitely. It plans to challenge the law in court.

For years, Greece’s culture ministry has attempted to negotiate deals for the return of artifacts without resorting to legal action.

Last year, the ministry arranged for the acquisition of 161 Bronze Age artifacts previously owned by US billionaire and philanthropist Leonard Stern.

The antiquities will be progressively returned to Greece over the next 25 years after being displayed at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

But the archaeologist association criticized the move. They noted that Stern was a “proven recipient of smuggled archaeological discoveries”, including the artifacts under consideration, and that the deal set a poor precedent by letting wealthy collectors get away with disregarding legal provenance rules.