If it is the intention of the organizers to ultimately donate these
artifacts to a public collection, then I don't see that their other
commercial activities  present an ethical issue for an exhibiting museum.

However, if these objects are to be sold after being temporarily exhibited
in a museum, the ethics become more problematic.  The exhibiting museum
would be allowing itself to serve as a marketing tool for the commercial
enterprise -- both advertising its merchandise and possibly affecting the
value of the objects.

Stephen Nowlin
Director, Williamson Gallery
Art Center College of Design

>I have an interesting ethical question that I would encourage
>people to respond on.
>
>Let say a commercial enterprise is involved in excavating
>archaeological sites not necessarily illegally but primarily for
>economic profit.  A particular site is selected by this
>enterprise and is excavated.  Lets assume, for this discussion,
>that the site is examined in a systematic fashion and recorded
>properly.  At the conclusion of the excavation a significant
>majority of the objects are sold commercially.  However, some are
>held back and placed in a traveling exhibit that is quite
>breathtaking. Your institution is approach as a venue for this
>exhibit.  Would you have any ethical concerns or would you except
>this exhibit without reservations?
>
>Brian Kimsey-Hickman