Relics and Artifacts That Countries Are Still Fighting For

Throughout history, armies have sought to control possession of priceless foreign artifacts and treasures from their enemies. But now that the wars with those countries are over, who should rightfully get to keep them? And are they really worth a battle among historians! Here are Relics and Artifacts that countries are still fighting for. 11. Hoa Hakananai’a Considered to be one of the finest and best preserved Moai statues discovered, and with the distinguished carvings on its back, it’s getting harder and harder for the British to keep this thing. It’s been associated with what’s known as the Island birdman cult and has been distinguished as a masterpiece and even the finest example of Easter Island sculpting. The rapa nui people resent the british for taking one of their statues and often refer to this sculpture as “a stolen friend”. It’s believed to date back to around 1500 AD and isn’t the oldest artifact by any means. It stands roughly 7.9 feet tall and weighs a massive 4.9 tonnes. There’s already been some notable damage and it’s believed that at one point in time, the back was painted but it was washed away while being transported on the boat. The british claim that it was a gift but no historical record of the gift would indicate that it was. In 2018, the governor of easter island formerly asked for it back but it’s a slippery slope if the British museum agrees 10. Nefertiti Bust Thanks to this sculpture, Queen Nefertiti is one of the most well-known queens of all time and an icon of feminine beauty. Because any original artwork of her is highly sought after, Egypt has been wanting Germany to hand her over show she can be on display. It was discovered in 1912 by the German archaeologist, Ludwig Borchardt. The claims began to become more public once it was listed in time magazine as being one of the top 10 plundered artifacts Intense disputes between the Germans and Egyptians broke out in 1924 and still continue to this day. Germany received many requests to repatriate the sculpture but every time, the request was denied. Head of the supreme council for Egyptian antiquities, Zahi Hawass, is very firm on his stance and claims that it was illegally taken from their country and should be returned. This had lead to scientific warfare between the two and Egypt banning exhibitions of their artifacts in certain countries who don’t give back their stuff! They’ve even banned some german archaeologists from entering egyptians! There are even some claims that the piece of art is a 9.The Rosetta Stone When Napoleon's armies came marching through Egypt, in 1798 a French soldier discovered this massive stone while walking through the small town called Rosetta. Pierre Francois Bouchard is credited with the discovery and soon realized it wasn’t any normal stone. They noticed that there were 3 different languages on this: Ancient Greek, Demotic and most importantly hieroglyphics. Greek was the ruling language at the time and the same script was written in these 3 different languages so all government officials could understand it. What was so special about this discovery was that some people already knew how to read ancient Greek, so they were able to translate the text and finally figure out what hieroglyphics mean. This was essential for us to actually understand the Pharaohs of Egypt and their ancient culture. It’s currently on display at the British Museum 8. Parthenon Sculptures While exploring many of remarkable Ancient Greece ruins, you may notice the Parthenon in Athens, isn’t exactly in the best condition. This enormous temple, dedicated to the Goddess Athena's, was certainly one of the finest examples of Doric architecture and completed in the 5th Century BC. But it certainly hasn’t only been used as a place of worship throughout it’s history. It sees its first violent occurrence when it was looted by the Romans but eventually the magnificent artwork known as, the Elgin Marbles, has ended up in the hands of the British at the British Museum. The Greeks has wanted the artwork back for quite some time but the British refuse on the grounds that if they did that, then everyone would have to return everything to it’s country of origin. Many don’t even know these magnificent works of art even exist! Subscribe to American Eye http://goo.gl/GBphkv