Return

During the final activity of this week we are going to take a close look at the intense debate surrounding the return of art, antiquities, human remains and cultural objects. It is time for you to explore how you feel about this controversial topic and time for you to tell us what you think.

We will begin with a short discussion with lawyer and illicit antiquities researcher Tess Davis about what the return of cultural objects means to people in Cambodia. You may remember Tess from our discussion of Cambodian statue smuggling in Week 1.

After that, we dive head first into an old yet ongoing debate about keeping or returning an important set of cultural treasures. The Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, represent one of the most famous unresolved cases of cultural property return. After evaluating the arguments for keeping and for returning this unique collection of ancient art, you’ll have a chance to share your opinion.

We look forward to hearing what you think.