Shipwrecked Debate

           The Smithsonian Museums are currently holding an exhibition in Asia, displaying artifacts that were discovered in 1998 from a ninth century shipwreck off the coast of Indonesia. The artifacts are significant because they are the only evidence of trade between the Arab and Chinese world. The exhibition includes artifacts from China’s ancient Tang Dynasty, including items such as ceramics, silver, and gold. This is the largest find of Tang Dynasty artifacts ever discovered.

            Although this discovery is a significant find, the Smithsonian has had many complaints about the exhibition of these artifacts. According to the Council of American Maritime Museums, their ethics statement claims, “Members shall not knowingly exhibit artifacts which have been stolen or removed from commercially exploited sites.” This is a controversial issue because some of the artifacts found were looted and sold for money. This is because the Indonesian government did not have the means to police the waters where the artifacts were found, so people began to steal the artifacts and sell them- a kind of “treasure hunt.”

            Since the statement claims that the Smithsonian is not legally allowed to exhibit any stolen material from exploited sites, there is much complaint of the “Shipwrecked” exhibit. Many critics claim that the artifacts were not excavated properly, and holding the exhibit sends a message that treasure hunting is okay. Others say that the artifacts were in fact recovered and legally licensed to the museums. Once the Indonesian government realized the looting problem, they hired a German commercial salvage company to take control. They recovered all of the artifacts, and these are apparently the artifacts that the museum received. These artifacts, therefore, do not go against the ethics statement and can be exhibited through the Smithsonian museums.

            I understand the argument that some of the artifacts in the museum could have possibly been looted and sold for money, but I think that critics are making this into a bigger deal than it is. The listening article stated that these artifacts were in fact received from the German salvage company, and therefore legally licensed. The debate is whether this is true, but I think that it shouldn’t be debated. The shipwreck is such an amazing find, and the artifacts recovered should be able to be viewed by the public. This gives society information and an actual look into the 9^th century Tang Dynasty, which is remarkable. If the sole purpose of the exhibition is to display these findings and educate the people, I don’t see the problem in the “Shipwrecked” exhibition. By holding the exhibition, I do not believe it portrays a message that treasure hunting is okay, like some believe. I think the fact that it is being displayed by a renowned museum in an exhibition distinguishes the artifacts as significant and important. The way they were received by the museum does not concern me. It concerns me that there is a possibility that this exhibit will be shut down, not allowing the discovery to receive as much publicity as it deserves.