February 1, 2011
The undersigned cultural heritage and archaeological organizations express their concern over the loss of life and injury to humans during the protests in Egypt this week. We support the desire of the Egyptian people to exercise their basic civil rights. We also share their concern about the losses to cultural heritage that Egypt has already sustained and the threat of further such losses over the coming days.
Brave actions taken by the citizens of Cairo and the military largely protected the Cairo Museum. However, numerous sites, museums and storage areas located outside of Cairo are even more vulnerable. As the prisons are opened, the potential for greater loss is created. Multiple reports now say that damage has been done to storage areas and tombs in Abusir and Saqqara and that looting is occurring there and in other locations.
We call on the Egyptian authorities to exercise their responsibilities to protect their country’s irreplaceable cultural heritage. At the same time, we call on United Statesand European law enforcement agencies to be on the alert over the next several months for the possible appearance of looted Egyptian antiquities at their borders.
American Anthropological Association
Contact: Virginia R. Dominguez, President, kcoleman@fas.harvard.edu; 215-898-4975.
American Schools of Oriental Research
Contact: Professor Timothy Harrison, President; tim.harrison@utoronto.ca; 416-978-6600.
Archaeological Institute of America
Contact: Dr. Elizabeth Bartman, President; Elizabeth.bartman@gmail.com; 857-305-9350
Association of Art Museum Directors
Contact: Kaywin Feldman, President, kfeldman@artsmia.org; 612-870-3222
Association of Art Museum Curators
Contact: Sally Block, Executive Director, sally.block@artcurators.org; 212-879-5701
Collaborative for Cultural Heritage and Museum Practices
Contact: Helaine I. Silverman, Director, helaine@ad.uiuc.edu; 217-333-3616
Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies, Rutgers University
Contact: Archer St. Clair Harvey, Director; 773-932-7041; astch@rci.rutgers.edu
Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation
Contact: Professor Patty Gerstenblith, President; 312-362-6175; pgersten@depaul.edu
Penn Cultural HeritageCenter, Universityof Pennsylvania
Contact: Professor Richard Leventhal, Director; 215-573-1202; rml@sas.upenn.edu
Sino-American Field School of Archaeology
Contact: Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, RPA, Founder; fmfsafsa@juno.com
U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield
Contact: Corine Wegener, President; 612/870-3293; cwegener@uscbs.org
For more information, contact Peter Herdrich, CEO, Archaeological Institute of America, pherdrich@aia.bu.edu, 718-472-3050 x18.
