The radical archaeologist movement tries very hard to convince people that this is so. In the broadest sense perhaps, just as the spare change in my pocket represents aspects of the country in which I live. But so is every other item ever made by a specific culture or society. The real question that needs to be answered is whether or not ancient coins are important items to a group or cultures cultural heritage. The answer to this question is a resounding NO for the following reasons:
1. Coins by their very nature were made for use in commerce. Most ancient coins (with few exceptions)? were?expected to cross boarders. More so for coins made of precious metals (gold, silver and billon) Some coins, like Athenian tetradrachms, Corinthian staters, tetradrachms of Alexander the Great, Abbasid dirhams, Venetian ducats, Maria Theresa talers and even U.S. trade dollars were circulated widely outside of their country of origin. Some of them, in fact, still circulate in parts of the world today.
2. Ancient coins are EXTREMELY common. Ancient coins were minted in the BILLIONS and HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS have survived.
3. Most of the source countries where ancient coins are found are comprised of residents which have little or no relationship to the producers of the coins or they have adopted a culture that is significantly different from those that produced the coins found in their territory. Even items of archaeological importance should not be considered as a specific countries cultural heritage in many cases, rather, they should be considered as mankind’s cultural heritage. (While countries such as Saudi Arabia do not “value” the heritage of their “idolatrous” ancestors these ancestors have made significant contributions to mankind in various arts and sciences.)
In conclusion, to declare ancient coins cultural property or heritage is to trivialize the significance of the definition of what really is cultural property or heritage. I feel that these terms have been overused and are routinely abused by the radical archaeologist movement and is used to polarize people to join their “side”. After all, who would not agree that the cultural heritage of a people should be protected at great cost?
Tags: Ancient Coins, Cultural Heritage Issues, cultural property, radical archaeologists
I write concerning what constitutes Cultural Heritage in yesterdays post. The blog entry you made in reference to the Tenedos museum in Turkey is a case in point. The current culture of Turkey is substantially different from the cultures of the distant past. (I also do not believe that ancient coins should be classified as “cultural heritage” or “property” for various reasons)
I don’t mind if a nation claims a few coins that are truly meaningful to the people as part of its cultural heritage. For example the USA restricts export of the Medal of Honor. New Zealand claims “the Resolution and Adventure Medal, 1772; the Pattern Waitangi Crown; issued 50- and 100-pound New Zealand bank notes produced before 1933; [and] the New Zealand Cross” as cultural property.
The Greeks worked really hard to get an Athenian Dekadrachm for their national museum and I respect them for that. That effort shows the Dekadrachm is important to them.
I blogged about Turkey refusing to permit the Tenedos museum to display ancient coins from Tenedos. It’s absurd to prevent people from seeing their own cultural heritage! By banning the people from seeing the coins Turkey loses all credibility in claiming coins as part of their culture.