Artifact Repatriation

Southern Methodist University, Dallas TX

Investigators

Abstract

From 1969 through 1981 the National Science foundation awarded seven grants to Dr. Anthony Marks to conduct archaeological research in the Israeli Central Negev Desert. A number of important open air sites were excavated and the results published in a multi-volume series. The sites are important because they document the transitional period which led to the emergence of anatomically modern humans and the appearance of a modern range of fundamental behaviors. Following accepted standards of the time, the collections were divided between the Israel Antiquities Authority in Jerusalem and Southern Methodist University (SMU), Dr. Marks' home institution. Such a practice is no longer followed because of the difficulty it imposes on researchers who wish to study an entire collection. Dr. Marks is now retiring from SMU and the institution no longer wishes to maintain either his or others' Old World archaeological collections. With NSF support, Dr. Marks and a student will systematize and pack the SMU material for shipping to the Israel Antiquities Authority which will reintegrate the collections and pay the actual transport costs. This project is significant because it will make an important archaeological collection available in its entirely for scientific study.