Russia Closes its only GULAG Museum, blaming architectural design

 

         Out of concern for public safety...             

The State Nuseum of GULAG History in Moscow, the only state museum in Russia devoted to Stalin's repressions and to the system of GULAG, will close on November 14, 2024. The Museum posted the following reason for the supposedly temporary closure (translation): 

  “As a result of the museum inspection by specialists from the Center for Expertise, Research and Testing in Construction, fire safety violations were identified. According to the conclusion, they pose a threat to the safety and comfortable stay of museum visitors and must be eliminated.”

The GULAG History State Museum was opened in 2004 and its exposition is devoted to the history of the labour camp's system, the paramount integral part of the Soviet state machine during 1930-50s years. One of the most important sections of the exposition is the reconstruction of some details of camp daily life. The Museum has 46 staff, 20 of them curatorial and had some 27000 visitors a year.

There is however an interactive GULAG online virtual museum run from Czechia, and a YouTube channel (in Czech), and the decaying ruins of the ca,mps themseleves, and the monumental projects their occupants were coerced into executing, are still out there in the countryside of Russia and also surrounding countries.

 Maybe we should expand some of our Polish museums to more fully document this phenomenon if the Russians can't manage this historical honesty? Enough Poles were also affected by this Soviet system to justify that.

Thinking Takes Time in Great Britain

 

The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a comparatively new organization, so its not surprising they've not really got around to thinking this one through... I'm sure it will not be long before they think something up...

French Artefact Hunter Fined

               Hooded culture thief            

Plus de 13 000 objets récupérés illégalement par un archéologue amateur du sud de la Marne L'Ardennais 13/11/2024.

More than 13,000 objects were illegally recovered by an amateur archaeologist from the south of the Marne, and because the looter kept objects and remains from excavations carried out outside any legal framework at home , the sixty-year-old was ordered by the court to pay nearly 400,000 euros to the customs services. 

Why do they do it if they know they'll get trouble if they are caught breaking the law?

UK Detectorists dig up nature reserve

 

Stuart Maisner, 'Warning after detectorists dig up nature reserve' BBC South East 11.11.24.

 "Filled in their holes, bless them...."

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Visitors to The Larches nature reserve in Detling, Kent, have been urged to exercise caution due to a series of holes left by selfish artefact hunters with spades and metal detectorists. Kent Wildlife Trust warned that the holes pose a trip hazard, potentially leading to injury.

The 25-hectare reserve, a rare chalk grassland situated between the North Downs Way and the Pilgrims Way, is popular with horse riders, dog walkers, and hikers. Alison Ruyter, regional manager for the trust, criticized those responsible for the damage, saying their actions not only harmed the wildlife habitat but also created a safety risk for visitors. Ruyter explained: “Although the person responsible has attempted to fill in the holes, they have damaged plant roots, which can dry out the turf and kill the plants.”

The Trust added that it has been facing ongoing problems with metal detectorists causing similar damage to nature sites across Kent. In its statement, the Trust appealed to metal detector-using heritage looters to respect protected habitats and to seek permission before accessing such areas. Stupid Brits still want to believe they can reason with these people.

 
Note, this article is not about thieving bastard "metal detector enthusiasts" being warned, but by innocent non-looting users of the land they spoilt to avoid injury as a result of the toleration of these looters. 

My Arrowhead Collection, North Georgia Arrowheads

 

 Georgia Creekwalker ( 1.6K subscribers) “My Arrowhead Collection, North Georgia Arrowheads” posted on You Tube 2 years ago 10K views 

 I don't see many here that are labelled with findspot. So how many sites is that he's damaged to acquire this lot?

Dozens of Sites Looted, but "Spoko, it's all on da Database"

Bragger @medieval_digger ( · Sep 14) who likes photographing bits of his own body festooned with dugup artefacts writes:

Some more random metal detecting finds! Everything is reported in our national database for archeological finds: PAN. As required by Dutch law. I’ve never sold anything, I’m not in it for the money but for the Archeological/ historical value!

So when it has been "reported to PAN", what happens then? What use are data about a load of loose objects taken out of context? Serious question for Dutch archaeologists, what do you use these "data" for?

China - Revised cultural relics protection law provides strong legislative support for recovery, return of lost treasures

          Looters sentenced in People's Court in Wushan            

Huo Zhengxin, Revised cultural relics protection law provides strong legislative support for recovery, return of lost treasures Global Times : Nov 10, 2024  

The revised Law on Protection of Cultural Relics, adopted by China’s National People's Congress, will take effect on March 1, 2025. It represents a historic achievement in China's legal framework for cultural relics protection, as it marks a major step forward in enhancing China's use of legal tools to protect its heritage and fulfill its international obligations, underscoring the central leadership's strategic vision for unified domestic and international legal governance in cultural heritage. A key feature of the revision is the introduction of provisions for the repatriation of cultural relics that have been lost abroad. This responds to public interest and addresses a long-standing challenge in China’s efforts to recover stolen or illegally exported cultural artifacts. While China has made progress in recovering such relics, the lack of clear legal support for repatriation had previously hindered these efforts. The new law includes Article 81, which formalizes the repatriation process. The first clause of Article 81 emphasizes international cooperation to recover cultural relics lost abroad due to theft or illegal export. It tasks China’s State Council’s cultural relics department, in coordination with other relevant agencies, to pursue the return of these artifacts. The clause also requires China to cooperate with other countries to return foreign relics illegally imported into China, based on treaties or agreements. This marks the first time China has legally established a framework for cultural relic repatriation. The law aligns with international agreements such as the UNESCO 1970 Convention and the UNIDROIT Convention, and underscores China’s commitment to both recovering its own lost relics and returning illegally imported foreign artifacts. The law also clarifies that the State Council’s cultural relics department will be the lead authority on relic recovery, with support from other government bodies, such as the police and ministries of foreign affairs and justice. This formalizes a collaborative, multi-departmental approach to cultural relics recovery. Additionally, Article 81 asserts that China’s right to recover lost cultural relics is not subject to statutory time limits, overcoming a significant barrier in international law. This provision ensures that legal time constraints do not impede China’s efforts to recover cultural relics that were lost or stolen long ago.

British Archaeologists "do Outreach"

The object-centred "Friday Finds" gang are at it again.... " Anyone fancy having a stab at guessing the emperor on this coin recovered from a site in Kent for #FindsFriday?" 10:36 AM · Nov 1, 2024

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What, are you nuts? Its written there, no need to "guess". Why would you "find coins difficult"?

AOC Archaeology Group@aocarchaeology·Nov 6 it might be easy for us, but reading the run-on text and numismatic text conventions can be a fun brain teaser for others :)

But then it's not a "guess" is it? ("Anyone fancy having a stab at reading the name of the emperor on this coin"?) Again though this that nasty habit archaeologists have of playing the role of the gatekeeper with finds ("I'm clever enuff to read/know this, bet you can't, prole")

Why do British archaeologists not communicate archaeology and not applied numismatics etc? 

Yemen Signs UNIDROIT Convention to Combat Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Artifacts

                                Yemen's coveted artefacts                          

Karen K. Ho, 'Yemen Signs International Treaty Denouncing Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Artifacts' Art News November 8, 2024

Yemen's Ambassador to UNESCO, Dr. Mohammed Jumeh, has signed the UNIDROIT Convention, a key international treaty aimed at curbing the illegal trade of cultural property. The treaty encourages buyers to exercise greater due diligence when acquiring cultural artifacts, addressing a major gap in the 1970 UNESCO Convention on illicit trafficking.

On October 7, Yemen officially acceded to the UNIDROIT Convention, along with the required declarations, signaling its commitment to tackling the illegal sale and purchase of stolen or illegally exported cultural objects. The treaty, which will come into effect for Yemen on April 1 of next year, establishes mechanisms for the protection, repatriation, and return of such items.

This move follows Yemen’s ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in June, which took effect on September 5, further strengthening Yemen’s legal framework for cultural heritage protection.

The ongoing current looting of cultural artifacts in Yemen is driven by the country's ongoing political instability and the severe humanitarian crisis caused by the protracted civil war. Widespread corruption, soaring fuel prices, and food insecurity have left large parts of the country vulnerable, while the overall economic collapse has further strained resources.

As a result, Yemen’s archaeological sites, ancient cities, and pre-Islamic artifacts have become prime targets for looters and unscrupulous art dealers. Local cultural institutions often lack the means to safeguard these heritage sites from organized theft, which fuels the international black market for trafficked antiquities. This situation complicates efforts to reclaim and return looted items, creating significant challenges in their repatriation.

Chinese Relics Protection Law Revision Debated Today

                              .                            

Sun Langchen, 'Relics protection law revision to regulate artifacts banned from leaving China' Global Times: Nov 04, 2024.
The third draft amendment to the Law on Protection of Cultural Relics was submitted for review at the 12th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on Nov 04, 2024 . The draft specifies that the State Council's cultural relics administrative department will determine and publish the specific range of cultural relics prohibited from leaving the country.

In an interesting development, the draft amendment emphasizes the important role of domestic private collection activities in the protection and utilization of cultural relics and in preserving and passing down traditional Chinese culture. It therefore includes provisions encouraging citizens and organizations to legally collect cultural relics, as well as strengthening the guidance, management, and services for private collection activities. The draft amendment insists that cultural relic collection units must fulfill their due diligence obligations and verify the legality of the sources for any cultural relics they intend to acquire or purchase.

Article 79 of the second draft amendment of the law also emphasizes strengthening international cooperation in the field of cultural relics retrieval and repatriation.