The Lonesome Road

I was watching a show on National Geographic last night. It was about the illegal trade involving artifacts from various countries in the world.

Now, according to the Egyptian Master of Antiquities, tomb robbers and artifact black marketeers are the scum of the earth as they are carting away relics that are a part of the global heritage. And yes- even though they are part of world history, Egypt would like the finds that are made in their soil to stay in Egypt.

Now, this is where their policy made no sense. According to estimates, approximately 70% (yup) of all Egyptian relics and atrifacts are still buried under the shifting sands. This basically means that if you own land in Egypt and randomly dig in it, there is still a chance that you will come upon ancient treasuers. The kicker comes in once you find something. According to Egyptian law, all finds are supposed to be reported to the government, who will take over the find - and the land. Thus the common people are more than happy to sell the items off in the black market to
a) protect their property
b) make a quick buck.

Similarly, if a builder finds any relics when the foundation of a building is being laid, (s)he is also duty bound to report it to the government. You guessed it - the government takes over the land and the builder cannot construct his structure there anymore. Most builders when they find something of value simply do not report it - and in cases of frescoes and paintings, cover it up with cement so that it’s not visible.

Surely, there can be a better way to preserve the remenants of the past. The current policy will only make sure that the egyptian antiquities are destroyed or taken out of the country.

And that’s a shame.