Cultural heritage

Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj leads restoration of cultural centre in home village

As the UN holds its first official Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day on 11 July, Halilaj is hoping his work reviving the House of Culture in Runik will inspire conversations about heritage lost under Serbian rule

World Monuments Fund announces over $15m for climate change initiative

New initiatives emphasize WMF's commitment to the preservation and revitalisation of historic sites under threat of destruction from climate change

US authorities return a $3.7m trove of antiquities to Greece

Many of the 30 objects being repatriated are linked to the disgraced dealers Michael Ward and Robin Symes

Manhattan District Attorney's Office seizes $5m bronze bust in Turkish repatriation sting

The sculpture, which depicts a daughter of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, is the second out-of-state item to be seized by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit

US returns almost 100 stolen pre-Hispanic artefacts to Mexico

They had been smuggled into the US after a 2008 museum heist

Ornate pre-Hispanic incense burner returned to Mexican officials in Texas ceremony

The clay archaeological marvel, which was recovered thanks to a Texan artist, is believed to be more than 1,300 years old

San Diego-based collectors hand over pre-Hispanic artefacts to Mexican authorities

The 65 heritage objects in question include a glass with a clay pedestal dating from the Mesoamerican Classic period and a ceramic bowl dating from 200CE

Shake-up announced for the UK’s £300m National Lottery Heritage Fund

New builds—inspired by the so-called ‘Bilbao effect’—will now be discouraged as the chair of the organisation, Simon Thurley, outlines a change of priorities in favour of long-term benefits

The Netherlands returns more than 200 pre-Hispanic artefacts to Mexico

In all, 223 pre-Hispanic objects have been repatriated to Mexico by the Dutch government, largely through the power of social media

Chinanews

Trove of terracotta figurines discovered in ancient Chinese tomb

An archaeological team from the Datong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has unearthed a trove of well-preserved figures that provide a glimpse at life in the region 1,500 years ago

Getty Trust pledges $1m to help protect Ukrainian cultural heritage

The International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas is partnering with the Getty to save Ukraine’s museums and monuments

Western arrogance on parade in new book about culture and conflict

Different methods of protecting heritage during times of war are explored with mixed success in this challenging read

Archaeologists discover mural of Aztec god of alcohol in Mexican convent

Archaeologists believe the pre-Columbian wall drawing of a god wearing a feathered headdress likely depicts Tepoztēcatl, the god of pulque

Italy’s far right weaponises culture in the interests of nationalism

Concern over Brothers of Italy policies ahead of 25 September election

Horniman Museum in London hands over Benin bronzes to Nigeria

Major restitution development coincides with publication of new Arts Council England guidelines

Oxford and Cambridge universities approve returning 213 looted Benin bronzes to Nigeria

Charity Commission could veto the decision to repatriate objects from Ashmolean Museum and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

London foundry redevelopment still ringing alarm bells for heritage campaigners

Question mark over historic Whitechapel site a year after boutique hotel plan approved

Copies of the Parthenon Marbles—carved by a robot—to go on show in London

Project by Oxford’s Institute for Digital Archaeology fuels debate about restitution of controversial sculptures

‘The Benin Bronzes are returning home’: Germany and Nigeria sign historic restitution agreement

More than 1,100 looted items will be transferred though some artefacts will remain on loan to German museums

Is Ukraine's cultural heritage under coordinated attack?

Sites are suffering widespread destruction, but a coalition of organisations is working to provide evidence of deliberate targeting by Russian forces

Tom Seymour. with additional reporting by Sophia Kishkovsky

‘Putin’s Palace’ architect investigated over alleged €50m tax bill

Italian authorities seize valuable paintings in Lanfranco Cirillo's collection, including works by Picasso, Cézanne and Kandinsky

Chinese heritage sites see boost from local tourists as pandemic closes borders

The travel restrictions—and political encouragement—have driven increasing domestic demand for cultural travel experiences in China, prompting concerns over preservation

Of teapots and rubabs: a story of breaking and mending in Afghanistan

In a country that has been at war with others and itself for decades, the danger lies in forgetting how to repair the damage, says archaeologist and cultural heritage specialist Bastien Varoutsikos

Ancient Chinese sites hit by flash floods this summer

Deadly rains in central Henan province threatened key Unesco World Heritage sites and hundreds of national relics. Experts warn the disaster may be a taste of future trouble

An ancient Buddhist city is perched on top of an Afghan copper reserve worth $50 billion—what will happen to it under Taliban control?

Cultural heritage workers estimate they have five years to secure the heritage site’s contents before it is destroyed to extract the ore

Afghanistananalysis

Afghanistan: the historical sites of key concern after the Taliban's return

From the Bamiyan Valley to an ancient spiritual centre of Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, former Unesco senior official Francesco Bandarin looks at the embattled country’s most important landmarks

Under the Biden administration, can US cultural policy better reflect American values?

Building relationships with all stakeholders—from dealers and collectors to museums and archaeologists—is vital