Leiden University Student Repository

Michael, Noe (2013)

ACQUISITION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL ARTIFACTS BY MUSEUMS – LEGAL, ETHICAL, AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS

Master thesis | Archaeology (MA/MSc)

Analyzing the acquisition policies of museums is an important way to understand how the legal as well as ethical standards have evolved since 1970. Museums were influenced by these changing standards: What could be bought legally some years ago can no longer be bought legally today. This has to do with how the legal and ethical standards evolved. Furthermore, it is evident from the research that museums have understood that they can no longer buy unprovenanced antiquities and, for this reason, have published acquisition policies and declarations. The year 1970 can be seen as the turning point in the protection of antiquities. In this year, the first ethical codes were published by museums as well as the ICOM Code of Ethics; and in November 1970 the UNESCO Convention was put into effect. This thesis analyzes the acquisition policy of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden and compares it with other major museums.

Museum

Acquisition policies of museums

Archaeology

Legal and ethical standarts

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Protection of antiquities

Author

Michael, Noe

Faculty

Faculty of Archaeology

Specialisation

Museum studies

Supervisors

Halbertsma, Ruurd

ECTS Credits

20

Evaluation

Recommended

Language

en