17th Annual Student Research Conference
Social Science
The Politics of Archaeology: The Elgin Marble Controversy
Brooke Baumann
Dr. Thomas Zoumaras and Dr. Steven Reschly, Faculty Mentors
The controversy over the so-called Elgin Marbles has become more and more heated over the past several months as Athens, Greece prepares to host the 2004 Olympics. The marbles from the frieze of the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens were acquired by Lord Elgin of Great Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and are currently housed in the British Museum in London. The fight by the people of Greece and the worldwide community for the return of the Marbles has been spurred on by other countries whose antiquities have been “stolen” throughout the conquests of history. The account of Athens’ Acropolis, Lord Elgin, and the current debate over the return of artifacts to their native lands is an important debate in modern archaeology and politics.
Keywords: Sacred Sites, Greece, Elgin Marbles
Topic(s):History
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 50-4
Location: VH 1232
Time: 4:30