Decolonization | Spark of Genius

Egypt recovers 3 ancient artifacts found in the Netherlands

By Peter Schulte / August 27, 2024

The items retrieved include a mummified head from the Hellenistic period, a ceramic funerary figurine dating to Egypt’s New Kingdom era (664-332 B.C.), and part of a wooden tomb bearing an inscription of the goddess Isis from 663-504 B.C., the Egyptian embassy in The Hague said in a statement. The head was found in good condition, showing remnants of teeth and hair. Dutch police and the cultural heritage inspection unit retrieved the figurines and parts of the tomb after determining that they were smuggled out of Egypt.

U.S. museum returns artifacts to Ghana that were looted 150 years ago

By Peter Schulte / February 9, 2024

Looted from British-colonized Ghana in the 19th century before being transferred to Fowler Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the 1960s, the artifacts included an elephant tail whisk, an ornamental chair made of wood, leather and iron, two gold stool ornaments, a gold necklace and two bracelets.

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to return looted ancient art to Cambodia and Thailand

By Peter Schulte / December 15, 2023

Thirteen of the works are being returned to Cambodia in concert with an investigation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York and Homeland Security. Among the works are a large head of Buddha made of stone in the seventh century, and a tenth century sandstone goddess statue from the Koh Ker archaeological site.

UNESCO to launch world’s first virtual museum of stolen cultural artifacts

By Peter Schulte / October 6, 2023

Developed with the international police organization Interpol, whose database of cultural objects stolen from museums, collections and archeological sites worldwide lists more than 52,000 artefacts, the $2.5m virtual museum should open in 2025.

Netherlands to return nearly 500 looted objects to Indonesia and Sri Lanka

By Peter Schulte / July 22, 2023

“We’re not only returning objects; we’re also embarking on a period of closer cooperation with Indonesia and Sri Lanka in areas like collection research, presentation, and exchanges between museums,” said Dutch Secretary of State for Culture and Media Gunay Uslu.

Germany hands back centuries-old masks to Colombia

By Peter Schulte / June 16, 2023

The wooden objects are highly revered by the country’s Indigenous Kogi mountain people, and their return is the latest in a string of cultural restitutions by Germany and other European nations.

Ceylon gains independence from Great Britain

By Peter Schulte / February 4, 1948

Following the Second World War, public pressure for independence increased in the British-ruled Colony of Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka. Independence was formally granted under the Ceylon Independence Act 1947 and full independence was finally achieved independence on 4 February 1948, with an amended constitution taking effect on the same date.