Posted on: August 20, 2019 by Paul Stevenson
In something a bit different for followers of underwater cultural heritage, and a reminder that underwater heritage is not only about shipwrecks, news this week from the New York Times amongst others that veteran underwater sleuth Dr Robert Ballard, finder of RMS Titanic, has charted a course for a remote atoll in the Pacific island […]
Posted on: July 8, 2019 by Emily Gould
A fascinating day was enjoyed by all who braved London’s hottest day so far this year to attend IAL’s latest Study Forum held on 29th June. Topics ranged from the origins of modern copyright law to international laws on restitution to the treatment of human remains. Dr Elena Cooper (Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, CREATe) gave a […]
Posted on: June 20, 2019 by Rebecca Hawkes-Reynolds
Nighthawks (illegal metal detectorists) are a constant problem for archaeologists and the farmers on whose land they illegally trespass. Aside from the offence under the Treasure Act 1996 of failing to declare finds within 14 days of discovery, the loss of context is critical for archaeologists seeking to understand the find as a whole. Treasure […]
Posted on: May 21, 2019 by Julia Rodrigues Casella Hommes
The brand new issue of IAL’s Art Antiquity & Law quarterly journal is hot off the press and is now available in print and online via the Hein portal. This year’s first issue brings an array of articles, conference reports and a book review. Maja Dehouck discusses the regulation of illicit trafficking of cultural property […]
Posted on: May 3, 2019 by Rebecca Hawkes-Reynolds
It is fitting that, following Geoffrey Bennett’s last post on the Treasure Act consultations in the UK, this piece would also touch on a topic close to our hearts: the law of treasure. For four men in England last month the dream of finding treasure became a reality. While partaking in a four day long […]
Posted on: May 1, 2019 by Geoffrey Bennett
Assiduous followers of the media, and possibly even those with no interest at all, may have noticed that Her Majesty’s Government has in recent months been slightly preoccupied with European legal perspectives. It therefore came as a welcome surprise that in February 2019 the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced a long-awaited […]
Posted on: March 27, 2019 by Rebecca Hawkes-Reynolds
Searching for treasure and discovering new archaeological sites like Indiana Jones is every child’s dream. And this is exactly what Cadbury’s latest Freddo campaign sought to do. The relevant webpage listed a series of known archaeological sites in England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland where “treasure is fair game”, and encouraged children to […]
Posted on: March 4, 2019 by Rebecca Hawkes-Reynolds
Laws and guidance notes are rarely retrospective as this would go against fairness and justice. As regards laws such as the Treasure Act 1996 and guidance notes dealing with human remains and archaeological excavation, however, many archaeologists, Anglo-Saxon specialists and museum curators probably wish that they could be. Hansons Auctioneers recently announced it would be […]
Posted on: February 13, 2019 by Rebecca Hawkes-Reynolds
1 February saw the announcement by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that a consultation has opened on a series of proposed amendments to the Treasure Act 1996 and its associated Code of Practice. The consultation period will last until 30 April 2019 and will be seeking views on a series of […]
Posted on: July 10, 2018 by Lucie Lambrecht and Zacharias Mawick
In 2017, according to an article appearing in The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur footballer and Belgian World Cup team member, Mousa Dembélé, discovered archaeological objects of significant financial and archaeological value in the cellar of a historic building in the Flemish city of Antwerp. The footballer bought the 700-year-old listed building to open a luxury hotel, […]