Ownership of Ancient Artifacts - Essay Example

This means that the possession of such sculptures by Britain not only snatched the Greeks of their heritage but also the right of identity with these sculptures.

            As revealed by information by the British Museum (1), the ownership of ancient artifacts could also render some of these artifacts very useless in cases where some of their parts are still in the country of origin. In this case, none of the two countries benefits by owning part of the artifacts. Although some organizations holding other nations’ sculptures may claim that the countries of origin do not have a suitable location for display, this is not a good justification for holding such ancient artifacts. Had these artifacts existed in their country, they would certainly have motivated them to build a better place for themselves. Ancient artifacts are a symbol of a nation’s glory and nothing can substitute this including replications of these artifacts. Shyllon (2) explains a replica of an irreplaceable cultural heritage can never be the best substitute.