Ottoman Policies on Antiquities Between 1869 and 1914

During the Fall of 2024, Boston University's Archaeology Program will be hosting a series of lectures. Our first lecture is titled “Ottoman Policies on Antiquities Between 1869 and 1914.” We are thrilled to have Dr. Artemis Papatheodorou (Chester Dale Interdisciplinary Fellow, The Metropolitan Museum of Art) joining us to share their work. The talk is Wednesday, October 9th in the Gabel Museum of Archaeology, STO 253, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, 12:20-1:10. Lunch provided.

In 1869, the Ottoman Empire became one of the first states in the world to introduce legislation regarding antiquities and archaeology. Additional policies followed in 1874, 1884, and 1906, codifying the regime’s approach to issues ranging from the definition of antiquities and their ownership to procedures for sanctioning archaeological research to exporting antiquities. Artemis will focus on the goals that the regulations aimed to achieve, and the clauses concerning ownership and export of finds. She will also discuss how these regulations were implemented across the vast expanse of the Empire and provide a comparison to the Greek kingdom. She will explain the evolution of Ottoman policies, and the difficulties met on the ground when implementing these laws.

Host or Publisher BU Archaeology