- Department: Centre for Medieval Studies
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: M
- Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
- See module specification for other years: 2024-25
Who owns antiquities? This module tackles this question by focusing on nineteenth-century European colonialism in Western Asia (the “Middle East”) and the formation of universal or encyclopaedic museums in major European and American cities.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
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A | Semester 2 2023-24 |
Who owns antiquities? Cultural, legal, economic, and political dimensions of this question continue to inform debates on the restitution and repatriation of antiquities, with immense repercussions for the fields of museology, art history, and archaeology. This module will tackle these issues by focusing on nineteenth-century European colonialism in Western Asia (the “Middle East”) and the formation of universal or encyclopaedic museums in major European and American cities. We will explore the intricate ties that link museology and archaeology with efforts of empire- and nation- building, as well as with exclusionary politics and the antiquities market. We will also pay special attention to the contemporaneous formation of non-Western museums (e.g., The Ottoman Imperial Museum), and incorporate into our analyses various indigenous sources and archaeologies across time—from the ancient to the Hellenistic, Medieval, and Ottoman periods.. This will lead us to delve into the political nature of the concept of the archive, namely whose voices are heard and whose are suppressed, and will help us critically engage with narratives that dominate both popular and scholarly discourses today. Finally, we will turn to the practical aspects of curating by addressing one of the most pressing issues in the field: the exhibition and publication of objects with questionable provenance (histories of ownership).
By the end of the module, students should have acquired:
A solid grounding in the current debates on the restitution and repatriation of antiquities
A critical understanding of the intersections of archaeology, art history, and museology with the
histories of colonialism
Familiarity with the legal, political, and economic backgrounds of the restitution debate as well as
their historical trajectory
The ability to think critically about art historical and archaeological narratives, exhibition
didactics, and designs by situating them within the histories of the restitution and repatriation
debate
An understanding of the impact of provenance research on curatorial decision-making processes
The skill to write clearly and concisely about complex ideas
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Students have the opportunity to submit a formative essay of up to 2,000 words and to receive feedback from a tutor. For the summative assessment task, students will receive their provisional mark and written feedback within 25 working days of the submission deadline. The tutor will then be available during student hours for follow-up guidance if required.