I cannot remember details - I am sure someone will know - of an
excavation in Mesopotamia that found a building with 'old' sculptue
accompanied by 'labels'. I have just moved house, so my books are
currently packed .....

David

In article <[log in to unmask]>, Giles Hudson
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>The Old Ashmolean Building on Broad Street in Oxford claims to be the
>"oldest surviving purpose-built museum building in the world". The
>building was built in 1683 for the museum of Elias Ashmole, which was
>open to the public.
>
>The claim could be that the building is the "oldest purpose-built museum
>building in the world" were it not for the museum in the library of
>Alexandria. But this no longer survives, and many not qualify as a
>'public museum' anyway.
>
>Clearly there are many museums around now that are in buildings that
>were built before 1683, but none of these were originally built to be
>museums; they have since been converted to that purpose. Other buildings
>may have been built to house private collections, but none were built
>expressly to be public museums.
>
>Does anyone dispute these claims?
>
>Quizically,
>
>Giles Hudson,
>Curatorial Assistant,
>Museum of the History of Science,
>Old Ashmolean Building,
>Oxford.

David Dawson                    email: [log in to unmask]
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