A Central Repository
February 3, 2003

What's needed is a central repository, such as http://www.iran-heritage.org
where it is agreed by curators of Iran's museums that museum items can be
catalogued. Clearly here, we are more interested in the items that are
missing, and where they are. And also showing how the missing items fit into
the whole.

There is nothing like presenting a picture of a large ornament from
the German or French museums, and then next to it showing exactly where
it was removed from. Consequently, it will become noticeable to even the not
so interested, that a significant part of Persepolis, for example, is
missing not because of Alexander or Arab invasion, but modern day
looting by mostly western museums and collectors.

The Internet permits an extremely wide audience to participate in such an effort (in a piece meal and irregular manner-which is to be expected), and such a venture does not end when the government changes, but is an on-going task that will be spread out over a very long period of time.

Members who are currently in Iran, or have access to Iranian Archeology students and teachers abroad can work together and build consensus that such a venture is needed and welcomed.

Slowly, out of this effort a simple on-line web based database can be
created that facilitates university initiatives in documenting our
heritage, and permit the public at large to document all museum pieces
abroad (those that can be seen publicly) into this database and thus enable
experts in Iran to determine where they were taken from and if there is an
official sales receipt for them. Nothing like this would have been feasible
10 years ago, but with widespread access to the Internet, the skeleton of
such a venture can be done for nothing, and be the basis of efforts by
future generations or Iranians. It's the consensus to do this that is
lacking, and a viable web based tool to bring people together (the
discussion database just doesn't do it), along with a web-based database
like that of e-bay that permits average users to upload images and text into
meaningful categories.

Iran's artifacts belong to people of Iran. Other nationalities are welcomed
to visit and enjoy them, but they must be kept in Iran.

Director of Iran's National Museum in recalling all Iran's cultural
artifacts return to Iran: www.payvand.com/news/03/feb/1012.html.
Write/call Barmak Bahremand, Foreign Desk Editor Iran, Tehran - Association of Advocate Journalists for Cultural Heritage, Telephone: (9821) 224 3126-27 adjour@gmx.at