首页
登录
职称英语
Archaeology as a profession faces two major problems. First, it is the poores
Archaeology as a profession faces two major problems. First, it is the poores
游客
2023-12-23
60
管理
问题
Archaeology as a profession faces two major problems. First, it is the poorest of the poor. Only trifling sums are available for excavating and even less is available for publishing the results and preserving the sites once excavated. Yet archaeologists deal with priceless objects every day. Second, there is the problem of illegal excavation, resulting in museum- quality pieces being sold to the highest bidder.
I would like to make an outrageous suggestion that would at one stroke provide funds for archaeology and reduce the amount of illegal digging. I would propose that scientific archeological expeditions and governmental authorities sell excavated artifacts on the open market. Such sales would provide substantial funds for the excavation and preservation of archaeological sites and the publication of results. At the same time, they would break the illegal excavator’s grip on the market, thereby decreasing the inducement to engage in illegal activities.
You might object that professionals excavate to acquire knowledge, not money. Moreover, ancient artifacts are part of our global cultural heritage, which should be available for all to appreciate, not sold to the highest bidder. I agree. Sell nothing that has unique artistic merit or scientific value. But, you might reply, everything that comes out of the ground has scientific value. Here we part company. Theoretically, you may be correct in claiming that every artifact has potential scientific value. Practically, you are wrong.
I refer to the thousands of pottery vessels and ancient lamps that are essentially duplicates of one another. In one small excavation in Cyprus, archaeologists recently uncovered 2,000 virtually indistinguishable small jugs in a single courtyard. Even precious royal seal impressions known as melekh handles have been found in abundance—more than 4,000 examples so far.
The basements of museums are simply not large enough to store the artifacts that are likely to be discovered in the future. There is not enough money even to catalogue the finds; as a result, they cannot be found again and become as inaccessible as if they had never been discovered. Indeed, with the help of a computer, sold artifacts could be more accessible than are the pieces stored in bulging museum basements. Prior to sale, each could be photographed and the list of the purchasers could be maintained on the computer. A purchaser could even be required to agree to return the piece if it should become needed for scientific purposes.
It would be unrealistic to suggest that illegal digging would stop if artifacts were sold on the open market. But the demand for the clandestine product would be substantially reduced. Who would want an unmarked pot when another was available whose provenance was known, and that was dated stratigraphically by the professional archaeologist who excavated it? [br] Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a disadvantage of storing artifacts in museum basements?
选项
A、Museum officials rarely allow scholars access to such artifacts.
B、Space that could be better used for display is taken up for storage.
C、Such artifacts are often damaged by variations in temperature and humidity.
D、Such artifacts often remain uncatalogued and thus cannot be located once they are put in storage.
答案
D
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3299477.html
相关试题推荐
[originaltext]MostAmericanworkers,especiallythoseinprofessionaloccup
Professionallanguagetranslatorslaborinabusinessthatisunorganizedand
Professionallanguagetranslatorslaborinabusinessthatisunorganizedand
Archaeologyasaprofessionfacestwomajorproblems.First,itisthepoores
Archaeologyasaprofessionfacestwomajorproblems.First,itisthepoores
[originaltext]Insomeprofessions,suchasdesigning,translatingandcomput
Weholdcertainprofessionstoahigherstandardwhenitcomestothemental
Weholdcertainprofessionstoahigherstandardwhenitcomestothemental
Weholdcertainprofessionstoahigherstandardwhenitcomestothemental
Weholdcertainprofessionstoahigherstandardwhenitcomestothemental
随机试题
TheFairnessofCollegeEntranceExamsI.SATandACT:majorteststomeasureap
在纳税审查中,发现企业以前年度多计收益少计费用的情况,应在()进行调整。A.以
邓小平理论成熟的标志是(??)A.南方谈话 B.阐述了社会主义初级阶段理论
基本分析法的主要方法包括() Ⅰ.自上而下分析法 Ⅱ.自下而上分析法
下列何种物质能促红细胞形成缗钱状聚集()A.清蛋白B.纤维蛋白原C.球形红细胞
患者女.38岁。因车祸导致失血性休克行静脉输血治疗,输血结束后约10分钟,患者出
下列分子中,属于极性分子的是()。A. B. C. D.
由钻探取得某原状土样,经试验测得该土的天然重度γ=17kN/m3,含水量w=13
下列各项因素中,注册会计师在确定审计工作底稿的要素和范围时通常无需考虑的是(
用于动脉血压升高,心功能评分指标降低的是( )。A.每搏输出量 B.射血分数
最新回复
(
0
)