AIA Cyprus hearing summary

Selective Memory

http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/2012/03/selective-memory.html

by Peter Tompa

Months after the fact, the AIA has produced this highly selective and rather condescending account of what happened at the CPAC meeting to discuss the renewal of the current MOU with Cyprus. http://archaeological.org/news/advocacy/8558#Oral%20Comment

For a far more complete and hence accurate summary, see my own here: http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/2012/01/cpac-meeting-on-renewal-of-mou-with.html

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COMMENTARY

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Peter Tompa's summary was laudably comprehensive, objective and unbiased -- especially when compared to that of the AIA. Like almost everything else the archaeology establishment puts out on the subject of private collecting (and their relentless efforts to suppress it), their own summary was mere special pleading and as such, very far from being objective, balanced or fair.

Isn't it ironic that those whom archaeologists view as being the damnable villains whose immoral and unethical collecting of antiquities (in flagrant contravention of the ethical code to which archaeologists subscribe) is, according to Renfrew and Elia, the root cause of looting, can discuss the subject in an open, sensible and fair manner, while archaeologists trapped by their prejudicial jargon [ see http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/2012/03/glamorization-of-looting.html ] appear to be incapable of doing so objectively? Or indeed, of uttering anything at all on this subject that makes any real sense?

More grist here for the mill of those who deny that archaeology is a genuine science, and contend that archaeologists do not follow the scientific method -- or observe proper scientific rigor in "proving" their theories. [ see http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/2012/03/archaeologists-and-their-pretensions.html ]

The pretensions of archaeologists are nowhere revealed as more unreasonable and flagrant than when they presume to instruct the rest of the world as to what is moral and immoral based upon their own archaeocentric viewpoint. The jargon in which their preachings are stated ascribes immorality, criminality and social irresponsibility to conduct which (according to the laws, social attitudes and standards of ethics prevailing in normal democratic societies) is in reality moral, lawful and socially beneficial.

I have in the past referred to such a perspective as "living in Wolkenkuckucksheim (Cloud Cuckoo Land) -- see "Emperor Barford" in http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/2011_11_13_archive.html ." It does appear that archaeologists have indeed created their own imaginary archaeocentric world, in which their perspective alone governs, and "archaeologese" is the only language spoken.

Perhaps they are compelled by their pretensions and delusions to live in that strange fantasy world, but no one else has to join them in Cloud Cuckoo Land.

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