Site Preservation Archives - Page 11 of 12 - Archaeological Institute of America

Joint Statement of Principle on the Protection of Archaeological Sites, Monuments and Museums

An unprecedented international agreement to combat the destruction of the archaeological record and the depredations caused by looting and the illegal trade in undocumented antiquities was signed at the Annual Meeting by the AIA, German Archaeological Institute, and the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Letter in Support of Peru’s Request

Patty Gerstenblith, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation

Letter in Support of Cyprus’s Request

Patty Gerstenblith, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation

AIA Supports Cypriot Import Restrictions

As President of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), I am writing to express my strong support on behalf of the AIA for the request by the Government of Cyprus to renew the U.S.-Cyprus MOU imposing import restrictions on Classical and Pre-Classical archaeological materials and on Byzantine ecclesiastical material from Cyprus under Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention.

Getty Museum Strengthens Acquisition Policies

The Archaeological Institute of America congratulates the J. Paul Getty Museum for its recent decision to strengthen its acquisition policies for works of art including ancient art and archaeological materials.

Archaeologists Call on Mid-East Combatants To Honor Hague Convention of 1954

The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) and the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) deplore the loss of innocent life in northern Israel and Lebanon and profoundly wish for a quick resolution of the armed hostilities in the area.

Legislative Alert: National Historic Preservation Act

A proposed amendment to the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), now under consideration by Congress, may jeopardize the protected status of as yet undiscovered archaeological sites.

Archaeologists Call For Responsible Museum Acquisitions Policies

In response to the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) new guidelines on the loan of archaeological artifacts and ancient artworks, the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) today issued a statement pointing out its shortcomings and proposed a set of principles for future acquisitions or loans of antiquities by American museums.

U.S.-Italy Bilateral Agreement to Protect Italian Antiquities up for Renewal

The public hearing of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee on the renewal of the U.S.-Italy bilateral agreement took place in Washington D.C. on September 8, 200. AIA President Jane Waldbaum and Vice President for Professional Responsibilities, Malcolm Bell, III both attended and presented testimony on behalf of renewal. Links to PDFs of their letters to the committee are posted below.

Legislation to Protect Afghan Antiquities

The deadline to submit letters in support of H.R. 915 has now passed. All letters submitted both in support and against the Bill are available online at: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=comment&hearing=440.

Archaeologists Teach U.S. Troops Iraq and Afghan Heritage

The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) announces a new educational program first implemented earlier this year at the Marine Corps base at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina. In the first four months some 2,000 troops en route to Iraq and Afghanistan have benefited from presentations on the archaeology, history and cultural heritage of the region by experts in the field.

Hill of Tara Threatened by Roadway Construction

The Hill of Tara is one of the most important archaeological sites in Ireland. In use since ca. 4000 B.C., at first as a burial ground and religious center, it was also a center of Irish kingship and a key medieval site. It stands in the midst of a larger landscape containing a wealth of related sites and monuments. Now, Tara and the surrounding landscape are threatened by a proposed major highway (the M3) that will cut through the landscape and divorce Tara from the related sites that surround it.

Support for U.S.-China Agreement

In response to ongoing looting of their archaeological and cultural heritage, the People’s Republic of China has requested a bi-lateral agreement with the United States under Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention and implemented by the U.S. Cultural Property Implementation Act. The agreement was supported by the AIA and SAFE.

AIA Supports the US Funding Proposal for Archaeological Site Protection in Iraq

The unprecedented magnitude of the current plague of archaeological site destruction by looters in Iraq is documented in satellite images, aerial photographs taken by Coalition personnel, and in accounts by journalists and antiquities officials working in Iraq.

AIA Endorses Move to Protect Petroglyph National Monument. Extension of Freeway through Monument Opposed

Despite the efforts of archaeologists and archaeological organizations, the street bond issue passed on November 2. Unless there is further action, the road through Petroglyph National Monument will go ahead. Further information will be posted as it becomes available.

Emergency Protection for Iraqi Cultural Antiquities Act Passes

The AIA has released a press release on the passage of the “Emergency Protection for Iraqi Cultural Antiquities Act of 2004”. The release is available in PDF format. Please distribute it to any interested individuals.

Hatra Threatened by Military Activity in Iraq

On September 9, 2004, as a response to recent information that controlled detonation of military ordnance near the important ancient and Early Islamic site of Hatra in Iraq will likely result in permanent damage to the site, AIA President Jane C. Waldbaum sent a message to Dr. Joseph Collins, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Col. Frank Romano, Department of Defense, and Mr. William Jeffrey, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy requesting that they take steps to ensure the protection of the site.

Saving Antiquities For Everyone (SAFE) Launches New Website

Saving Antiquities For Everyone (SAFE), the volunteer group dedicated to increasing public awareness of the looting of cultural antiquities worldwide and the illicit antiquities trade, officially launches its new web site.

Update on Pending Legislation Regarding Iraq and Afghanistan, March 8, 2004

On March 4, the Senate passed legislation (S. 671) that gives the President the authority to impose restrictions to prevent the import into the United States of cultural materials that have been illegally removed from Iraq since August 1990. Enactment of this legislation is crucial to prevent cultural materials looted from Iraq’s cultural institutions from entering the United States and to help combat the looting of archaeological sites.

AIA Sends Letter Concerning Cultural Heritage Resource Management in Iraq

On January 8th, 2004, Jane Waldbaum, AIA President, sent the following letter to officials at US AID and the US Army Corps of Engineers requesting that the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (ISBAH) be consulted and that cultural heritage resource management requirements be established…

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