Posted on Aug 11, 2020
Facebook Has Moved To Ban Sales Of Looted Antiquities. Will It Make A Difference?
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In a video shared in a Facebook group, a narrator speaking Syrian-accented Arabic describes an elaborate, Roman-era mosaic depicting mythological figures and animals. The colored glass and stone in the mosaic are still vivid some 2,000 years after it was created.
A brief glimpse of sweatpants worn by the narrator is the only indication of who is speaking. Then the camera pans out to show that the mosaic still lies in the ground, uncovered in a field of dirt and rocks.
The Facebook group is one of more than 100 that archaeologists have identified as offering looted and illicit antiquities for sale. To counter this online trade, Facebook announced new rules in June that, for the first time, specifically ban the exchange, sale and purchase of all "historical artifacts" on its site and on Instagram, which it owns.
Previously, the company could invoke its general policy against the sale of stolen goods to remove pages selling artifacts that were clearly looted. But critics say it rarely did so. And they warn that Facebook's new policy won't have an impact unless it's enforced.
A brief glimpse of sweatpants worn by the narrator is the only indication of who is speaking. Then the camera pans out to show that the mosaic still lies in the ground, uncovered in a field of dirt and rocks.
The Facebook group is one of more than 100 that archaeologists have identified as offering looted and illicit antiquities for sale. To counter this online trade, Facebook announced new rules in June that, for the first time, specifically ban the exchange, sale and purchase of all "historical artifacts" on its site and on Instagram, which it owns.
Previously, the company could invoke its general policy against the sale of stolen goods to remove pages selling artifacts that were clearly looted. But critics say it rarely did so. And they warn that Facebook's new policy won't have an impact unless it's enforced.
Facebook Has Moved To Ban Sales Of Looted Antiquities. Will It Make A Difference?
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I am going on a tangent. I took an ancient art class. I had a crush on the female professor but that is another story. I had thought Egyptian art was somewhat crude until I took that class. I found out that Egyptian artists and monument builders wanted to exude a sense of eternity. King Tutt's death mask sealed the deal. It is over 3,000 years old but look at the exquisite details and the emotions they capture: a sense of eternity, longing, contentment, wonderment, and confidence. It is easier said than done, but I tell folks that it would be optimal if people who are dying can reach that state the mask portrays. I am done rambling.
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