I enjoyed Jane's discussion and the questions she raised but despite seeing their intellectual merits I cannot help reacting emotionally to this issue. I do feel that it is wrong for the British museum to hold in its collections the decapitated heads of bushmen hunted down as trophies. Thes should certainly be returned to South Africa. I also have yet to hear a convincing arguement for European museums to keep the wealth of African culture within their storerooms not matter how perfect the conservation condition are. Why should Africans be denied access to their culture-which sadly many undervalue as it is. If Africans want to take their heritage and use it in the day to day inactement of their modern culture-can we really say that that is inappropriate use of world heritage and lock it away for the priveleged few. I find the new arguement of keeping the artefacts for the people of African descent in England fascinating and food for thought but my immediate reaction is-you have got to be kidding-to deny the rights of millions of people to their heritage for the sake of a minority of people doesn't make sense. If museum sin first worls/developed countries can afford to conserve their objects so much better than African museums-would it not be possible for them to donate the money or train the curators of Africna museum sto do the same thus not only giving back to the people of Africa their own heritage but also building capacity amongst Africans. I warned you that this was emotional. On a more museological note-while I was in the UK the debate was raging in the press about the Elgin Marbles and I was very disappointed that inside the British museum absolutely no indication was given of this debate. I thought that it would make a very interesting exhibtion ans d would offer the museum an opportunity to air their side of the story and keep people up to date with the issue. Kathryn