Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
EXCAVATION BARS
HAMPER RESEARCH.
italian Rule to Keep Foreign
Students Out Retarding
] Archaeological Work.
BY RALPH v. ID. MAGOFFIN.
Phi D., LID, Professor and Head OF Depart
rnent of Classics, N. Y u.

Eh.D., LID, Professor and Head OF Depart
rnent of Classics, N Y. U.
In commenting on a question which
Is asked more often than almost any
other as to how and why OF arcneoiogy
Investigation and its bearing upon the
general field of classical study, there
seems to be an opportunity to set a
number of matters in a light where
attention can be focused on them to
advantage.
Great Britain. France and Germany
have long maintained archaeological
schools in Rome and Athens; Tnese
schools are conducted under the aus
pieces of national archaeological and
classical bodies, but their expenses are
carried by the respective governments.
The United States came into the for
eign field later, and when it did estab-
lish schools in Athens and Rome 1t was
at private, not governmental initiative
and expense. Charles Eliot Norton Of
Harvard, who in 1879 founded and be-
came the first president of the Archie
illogical Institute of America, deserves
much cerdit for recognizing the handl-
cap under which our American CLASH
cistS were as compared with those in the
foreign schools, and for fathering and
bringing about the establishment of an
archaeological school in Athens on par
with those of the Continental nations.
Later the institute established its second
archaeological school in Rome.
Discoveries Made Possible.
Greece and italy have been most hos
pitable, and have granted to the foreign
schools sites for excavation, 1t is due
to that unself1sh open mindedness that
the science of archaeology rose so rapidly
to the highest scholastic criteria OF
standing. To the opportunities thus al
forded are due the wonderful discoveries
that have restored with absolute security
the structure and bases OF ancient
classic civilization, the certainty that
there Tas a Troy near the Dardanelles
and a Mycenean civilization in Greece;
that there existed Hellenic culture in
the Aegean Islands, great Hittite en-
pire in Asia Minor, line of opulent
and thriving cities along the north coast
of Africa and. most startling of all,
Minoan civilization in the Island OF
Crete, that had as high culture as
Egypt and the dates of which went back
almost as far.
Such in rapid resume are the most
important of the results of archaeological
investigation by the scholars OF Greece,
Italy, Great Britain. France, Germany
and the United States. Our schools.
although the youngest, have measured
fully up to their opportunities.
Italy Bars Foreign Excavators.
Discovery and reasonably immediate
publication of the discoveries in Greece
have outrun the production of both in
italy during the last 20 years. The rea-
son for this is that Italy. after the sue
cessful termination Of its war with Tur-
kew, some two decades ago, refused to
continue excavation privileges in Italian
territory to any but Italians. This has
resulted, to be sure, in increasing the
number and the scholastic efficiency OF
italian Psychologists, but 1t has forced
the work in the Roman field to lag lar
behind that in the field of Hellenic in
vestigation.
There are many sites in Italian terri
tory that await both men and money,
but the harder the italian Psychologists
are put to it to keep abreast OF the
actual digging the farther behind Will
log the adequate publication; wnlcn is
necessary to allow the critical COMPARE
sons that the modern science OF arch
eology requires. Classical archaeology is
an international science, and the posi-
bility of investigation should be made
as free and the prosecution of 1t as
rapid as properly controlled supervision
will allow. 1t is to be hoped that the |
Italian government will recognize the
Immense value of international assist
ance and will assign certain sites to
the authorities of the oficially recog- |
nized archaeological foreign schools In
Rome, retaining whatever priorities are
equitable.
Mutual Exchange Suggested.
It could be hoped also that italy |
would follow a. custom of some other |
countries and sell or exchange, with
museum guarantee of authenticity, du-
. plicate objects after the italian mu-
scum requirements were met. Such pro- |
cedure would help international amity |
as we'll as science. 1t would result in
museums of the countries of original
provenience of archaeological objects. |!
Best of all, it would result in putting a
fairly effective stop to the selling OF
faxed antiquities.
A further result would be the estab-
lishment of a properly authorized and i
recognized international clearing house
for the mutual exchange of duplicate I
antiquities, such clearing house to
have headquarters probably in New
York, as the Archaeological Institute OF
America has already suggested itself as
being qualified to be.