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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Valentinian, post: 2705046, member: 44316&quot;]It is commonly thought that academic classical archaeologists have lead the charge against collecting. A cursory inspection of the history of archaeology shows collectors began the field. All the early excavations were conducted by collectors. Later, the institutions involved expected to collect a fraction of the excavated material. Often excavations were funded by wealthy collectors. </p><p><br /></p><p>How has the model changed? Without collectors, who will fund it? Governments? Is there a classical archaeologist in the US who really thinks the feds or states will increase, or even maintain, grants for digging in other countries? </p><p><br /></p><p>I think classical archaeologists are well-intentioned, but wrong about how cultural property should be handled. The way things are going I can&#039;t see that rich collectors will be more inclined to fund digs and I don&#039;t see the US government wanting to fund more cultural activities of any sort. So, I expect their funding (without which archaeology cannot happen) will gradually dry up. Then they will rue alienating collectors. I believe the profession of archaeology will have to pay a price for its mistakes in promoting &quot;cultural heritage.&quot;&nbsp; I am sorry that collectors will have to pay too.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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