I am very interested in this disagreement about cultural
          objects being removed from the context in which they were
          created.
 
          On the one hand, I agree with Robert that (and I paraphrase
          from memory) nationalism is frequently artificial and
          destructive. I also know from my own experience how much
          understanding can be gained between cultures through
          transported artifacts.  Everything that I know about Egypt
          or Assyria, Renaissance Italy, or for that matter
          pre-contact America, I learned in museums with appropriated
          artifacts. I also assume that people in Turkey learn about
          America through transported culture, admittedly in much more
          portable media such as television and music.
 
          On the other hand, almost everyone seems to recognize that
          pillaging of tombs, wholesale buying of artifacts from
          Native Americans, selling of "cultural patrimony" (what a
          loaded term that is), is problematic at best and thuggery at
          worst.
 
          The long and the short of it for me seems to be: I'm glad
          that so much "cultural patrimony" was looted over the past
          two hundred years by Europeans and European Americans. And
          I'm shocked, simply shocked, that such a thing could still
          be going on!
 
          Hmmm, doesn't seem all that consistent to me. ;^)
 
          Eric Siegel
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