Legal Perspectives on Cultural Resources

Today's archaeologists and law practitioners must have an increased awareness of legal issues pertaining to historic preservation and cultural resource management (CRM). Archaeological sites and finds are non-renewable resources inciting numerous legal debates based upon claims of legitimacy and ownership. In this edited volume of original articles, law professionals and legal scholars offer their perspectives on current debates for the heritage community, giving multiple viewpoints and injecting historical depth to contemporary legal controversies. The contributions focus on three key issues: Enforcement and Preservation; International Issues; and Repatriation—in which insights are given on topics such as underwater cultural heritage, global trade and export, illegal trafficking of antiquities, domestic law enforcement, and indigenous people's legal rights. Famous cases such as the Elgin Marbles and the Kennewick Man, as well as laws such as NAGPRA and McClain doctrine are discussed at length. This book will be an indispensable resource to CRM practitioners, cultural property attorneys, archaeologists, community heritage groups, tribes, museums and galleries, or anyone interested in the preservation of American and global cultural heritage.