Australia investigating allegations that Joan Howard would steal from archaeological sites during her husband’s diplomatic tripsThe Australian government has confirmed it is looking into the case of a 95-year-old Perth woman accused of looting artefacts from countries including Egypt. Monica Hanna of Egypt’s Heritage Taskforce posted an open letter to Australia’s ambassador to Egypt, Neil Hawkins, on Facebook this month, alleging Joan Howard spent most of her time during her husband’s diplomatic trips looting archaeological sites. “You don’t go round saying ‘I’ve been in a tomb’,” Howard said. Hanna said the celebratory tone of the story sent a very negative message, especially given the large amount of looting of Egyptian archaeological sites in recent years. “These activities decontextualise the cultural heritage and transforms the archaeological finds from historical objects to mere aesthetic artefacts,” she wrote.

Source: The Guardian November 24, 2017 08:03 UTC