How valuable are ancient objects and inscriptions that are unprovenanced (see First Publication: A Newly Discovered House Shrine)? They come from the antiquities market rather than from a professional archaeological excavation, and they may have been looted.Consideration must also be given to whether unprovenanced finds are forgeries.
Scholars hold diametrically opposing views.
According to Othmar Keel, a Biblical scholar and historian of religion from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland: “I don’t think we can write a history of the ancient Near East without relying on unprovenanced material.”2
Andrew Vaughn, executive director of the American Schools of Oriental Research and a professor at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota, takes a different view:
“Finds that originate on the antiquities market may be glamorous, but their importance is indeed minimal.”3
How valuable are ancient objects and inscriptions that are unprovenanced (see First Publication: A Newly Discovered House Shrine)? They come from the antiquities market rather than from a professional archaeological excavation, and they may have been looted.Consideration must also be given to whether unprovenanced finds are forgeries. Scholars hold diametrically opposing views. According to Othmar Keel, a Biblical scholar and historian of religion from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland: “I don’t think we can write a history of the ancient Near East without relying on unprovenanced material.”2 Andrew Vaughn, executive director of the American Schools of Oriental Research and […]
You have already read your free article for this month. Please join the BAS Library or become an All Access member of BAS to gain full access to this article and so much more.