Zeus in Exile: Archaeological Restitution as Politics of Memory

Working Paper #13, Summer 2000

Can Bilsel

ABSTRACT
This paper is an analysis of the current debates on the Zeus Altar, not only in terms of its present possession and copyright, but also as a collectively negotiated construct of memory. By investigating the case of the Pergamon Altar, I hope to show the shortcomings of the present literature for and against repatriation, which often treat the archaeological monument as mere cultural goods. A reconsideration of the Zeus Altar as embodiment of collective memory, which is at the heart of political negotiations today, may bring a new perspective to the definitions of cultural property, national patrimony and historical heritage.

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