Claiming the stones/naming the bones: cultural property and the negotiation of national and ethnic identity

Abstract

Cultural property such as works of art monuments, literature, sacred remains, and traditional practices can create a profound sense of communal belonging, yet nothing illuminates the ambiguities of group identity more powerfully than conflicting claims to such material. This volume addresses current controversies over various kinds of cultural property from the perspectives of archaeology, physical anthropology, ethno biology, ethnomusicology, law, history, and cultural and literary studies. Its fifteen essays focus on tangible, unique property such as the Parthenon Marbles and the Kennewick skeleton where disagreements over custody have prompted debates about repatriation and restitution; intangible property such as the patterns of Maori tattoo whose appropriation has instigated calls for indigenous licensing and control; and figurative representations such as Philip Roth's portrayal of American Jewish ness that have provoked both censure and censorship.

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