Illicit heritage at Allard Pierson. A closer look at the archaeological collection in the context of extensive provenance research (original) (raw)

Despite increasingly stringent legal and ethical frameworks, the illicit trade in antiquities still flourishes. This concerns objects that have been illegally excavated, stolen or unlawfully exported from their country of modern discovery. The archaeological collections of the University of Amsterdam at the Allard Pierson include objects with a problematic or untraceable provenance. How did these objects end up in the collection and how will the Allard Pierson deal with this legacy? In this article we will take a closer look at the museum’s collection history, its changing policy with regard to the acquisition of antiquities, and the extensive provenance research project that it started in 2023. Several objects from the collection with problematic provenance histories will be presented to illustrate these issues.

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