• lemmingnosis@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Didn’t all kinds of antiquities get destroyed in Iraq? Totally irreplaceable stuff.

    As you alluded, probably common in many places. How sad.

    • fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de
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      6 months ago

      Oh man.

      It’s only recently that the idea of “archaeology” has been a thing. Before then there were only “antiquarians” which were just looters.

      Often they had royal backers. There’s a podcast series called “stuff the British stole”

      There’s pretty well documented instances in the 1800s in Egypt, and pompeii.

      Honestly the amount of amazing stuff that has just been “collected” is just eye watering.