The British Museum is full of stolen artifacts
And so far, it isn't giving them back.
Subscribe to our channel! goo.gl/0bsAjO
Some of the world’s greatest cultural and historical treasures are housed in London’s British Museum, and a significant number of them were taken during Britain’s centuries-long imperial rule. In recent years, many of the countries missing their cultural heritage have been asking for some of these items back.
Benin City in Nigeria is one of those places. They've been calling for the return of the Benin Bronzes, hundreds of artifacts looted in 1897 when British soldiers embarked a punitive expedition to Benin. Many are now housed in the British Museum.
And it's just the beginning. As the world reckons with the damage inflicted during Europe’s colonial global takeover, the calls for these items to be returned are getting louder and louder.
To dig deeper into the 1897 Benin Punitive Expedition and the Benin Bronzes check out this book by Staffan Lunden:
www.academia.edu/28886529/Dis...
And this article in the Journal of African History by Philip A. Igbafe:
www.jstor.org/stable/180345?r...
For more information on the two Benin Bronzes returned by Mark Walker, check out this piece by The Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...
Here are some links to learn more about the other contested items on the British Museum’s “Don’t Miss List” we reference in the video:
Greece seeks return of Parthenon Marbles amid restoration project
www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/0...
Egypt called; it wants its Rosetta Stone back
www.npr.org/templates/story/s...
Easter Islanders call for return of statue from British Museum
www.theguardian.com/culture/2...
Tajik leader wants treasure from British Museum
uk.reuters.com/article/uk-taj...
Lastly, here is an opinion piece by prominent lawyer Geoffrey Robertson arguing why the pieces should be returned:
www.theguardian.com/world/201...
And here is another opinion piece by author Tiffany Jenkins arguing why the pieces should stay in Western museums:
www.theguardian.com/culture/2...
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out www.vox.com.
Watch our full video catalog: goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Facebook: goo.gl/U2g06o
Or Twitter: goo.gl/XFrZ5H
You know the old saying, "never ask a woman her age, a man his salary, or a British museum how it got its historical artifacts."
lol
😂
Wow i never knew the third part thanks for the enlightment 😂😂
And A Student His Marks
I think that all the colonial powers should have to give back everything they stole from the people who where affected by this including the 45 trillion usd that uk stole from india!'
Tourists visit this foreign museum to see their own cultural history
No jokes you're literally correct, Egyptians literally visit it just to see the Rosetta stone
It’s much easier for people to visit one museum and appreciate these artifacts, than visiting multiple.
Yep... You're right...
@@andresjrz99 ofcourse it is, but would you want to keep a medal of yours (suppose) in a convenient public place rather than at home?
@@andresjrz99 but it's difficult for everyone in a country to get a visa to uk . Not so easy.
In India,we often refer to this museum as "Chor bazzar" or "Market of theives"
Why do Indian people visit?
😂😂
perfect depiction!!
@Flicks we are upset but not longer...
Britain should stop donating millions in aid to India each year
In honesty,secretly appreciating others artifacts while calling them uncivilized is the most European thing ever
Lol ..... yup
Sure honey
The most *human thing
The only reason why the Great Pyramids of Giza are still standing is because it was too big to ship it back to a British Museum
They're not, they're a shadow of their former glory because your ancestors didn't appreciate their heritage and wrecked them. "Please give us back our artifacts so we can fail to maintain the properly and lose them to history"
@@benjaminwilliams41 r/woooosh
@VVA 11 where are you from?
@@benjaminwilliams41 idk, somewhere that isn't England??
@@benjaminwilliams41 They've been wrecked by Europeans for hundreds of years.
Someone said "Egypt doesnt know the true value of the stone". Its like breaking into someones house and take things from them because they rarely use it
No its not the same. The british archarologist are responsible for the eygptian history we now have as they were ones that discovered it tutankhamen tomb and the others and many had been and continue to be vandalised like the sphinx.
@@janeslater8004 and so with this mentality we should be able to FORCEFULLY take your kidneys to but it in a better use, Like saving Selena Gomez or something
@@janeslater8004 the Egyptian history wasn't All discovered by the British. They have their share but the Egyptian history has always been dug out by all nations The Greeks, the French, the Arabs, the Egyptians themselves and even Persians had some share in discovering Egyptian artifacts including the Rosita stone itself which the video mentioned, it wasn't discovered nor studied by the British
@@janeslater8004 Also unlike alot of ancient nations ancient Egypt wasn't as ambiguous as you can say "most of what we know now" is from that source, For example the list of all the kings of Egypt all over the 3,000 years and the 30 dynasties was already known from manuscripts written in koine Greek copies of the list of Manethon, who was an ancient Egyptian priest, that is among a lot of endless other stuff that didn't need to be discovered about ancient Egypt.
"Rarely used" like the Library of Alexandria?
Maybe I can find my lost childhood bicycle there
and my basketball 🏀😂
maybe i could find the pen that some kid stole
"Disputed ownership" is a typically British way of saying something is stolen.
Because no other empire in human history has ever stolen something. The british were just better equipped and that drives u mad
@@nostro1940 Why don't you go on to say that, if not for british these items would have fallen into wrong hands and destroyed. We made the railways.. we gave the world english.. common man..
@@nostro1940 "we were better equipped thieves" what a strong argument man! I'm sold man.. Please take money from my wallet, too..
@@sonicblare So why cannot British Museum return for example Partenon Marbles to Acropolis Museum in Athens?
Nostro 200 so if we have a fist fight and I win I can go to your house and take any of your valuables that I fancy
Imagine robbing someones house and displaying their stolen stuff in your house
Flex 😎
To be honest they are doing a great job at preserving artifcats ( that is what is most important) and until they are public domain the place of storage is not really important
They should of bought an alarm and won the fight.
@Koolkid The British Museum has done an exceptionally good job at preserving all the artifscts it is home to. Many of these would have ironically been destroyed in their "countries of origin" because many of these artifacts simply were created by people who no longer live in the countries they were created. Many are provocative symbols that pose an affront to the cultures established in the lands which they "should" have been. There is absolutely no doubt that many, if not most, of the artifacts in dispute would have not existed now hadn't they been taken by the English. Paradoxically neither you or I would have ever heard of the Rosetta Stone, or the Parthenon Marbles, among many others if it wasn't for the fact that they were kept, safe and sound, in the British Museum.
And then telling them that if they behave there may be a slight chance of lending them back some of the stuff for a little while.
When anyone tells you that the British Museum should keep the items because it's the best place to preserve them, just remind them that the museum used corrosive chemicals and metal tools in the 30s to "clean" the Parthenon marbles (from all the smog that accumulated on them in London), making them lose much of their original detailing.
Not to mention the methodology used was often destructive. One of the stolen items are lintels 24 and 25 from Yaxchilan, Mexico. The British guy who stole those stones destroyed a whole building that was 3,000 years old to extract those stones from the site.
"American archeologist Dorothy King, in a newspaper article, wrote that techniques similar to the ones used in 1937-38 were applied by Greeks as well in more recent decades than the British, and maintained that Italians still find them acceptable*. wiki
"The west frieze was largely left intact by Elgin’s workmen, but they did take moulds of it; comparison between those and the next set of moulds, taken in the early 1870s, shows significant damage to the surfaces, as well as the loss of some distinct features, such as heads, which may have been caused by the bombardments of 1821 and 1826-7".The Elgin Marbles, Keep, Lend or Return? An analysis by Sir Noel Malcolm 2023.
In the 30's, nearly 90 years ago
Why should turkey have Parthenon when it was Greek history?
Rock: 'exist' British: that's mine
As it should be
Telling people that you'll lend them the objects you stole from them is such a slap in the face
So British indeed.
Stole? When you conquer something you own it. At least back then
@@leojrobison2102 Still a thief lol
@@leojrobison2102 So in that logic, if me and my mates trespassing your house, killing your family members, and then enslaving you, it means that your house and everything inside it is legally mine now right?
@@axellfonzie9067 Nope
Probably didn't steal the pyramid because it was too heavy
Lol right! But if they were able to move them they would have!
Vector did...
Hahahah I’m sure they’ve taken artifacts inside of the pyramid
Same with taj Mahal that was to heavy 😂
oh honey but they stole the mummy and its gold case
I'm a brazilian of mixed race, a descendant from the Benin people. Last year, i got a free scholarship on England and managed to visit the British Museum 6 times - which wasnt nearly enough to get to see half of it -, and the moment i saw the Benin bronzes i just. cried. my ancestors, stolen from their land, taken to Brazil as slaves, their beautiful culture stolen and taken to England, and somehow I managed to unite both of these things and get to see them. It was an emotional roller coaster!
who sold you? I am also mixed race and a descendant of Nigerians. I want nothing to do with that part of Africa because they sold my ancestors as slaves to the Spanish and British.
@@BlitzOfTheReichwho brought them as slaves to Brazil? Portugal. Who manipulated the tribes in Africa so they would give each other to the colonizers? Also Portugal!
As a Sri Lankan it's sad to see our artifacts in British museum 😞 Those artifacts are not just things. It's our heritage. Our history 😢
Theyre our history now lol
Finders keepers
"Finders keepers" makes you a thief/burglar with a motto@@OCGangsta . It's not anything to be proud of
@@jerryjiang6009 Well the Museum does make Money from donations or from the gift shops
@@rankepicdino8194 Your point is? Objects should belong to the creators unless they were legally and lawfully purchased or inherited. Taking them without consent equals thievery
There is a famous traditional tower in South Korea and it used to be surrounded by four stone lions which are represented to protect the tower. However, out of the four, one is missing. And the last time I visited the British museum, it was literally sitting behind a glass pane.
Wow!
How did it reach there.
@@prajwalj9024 Its called being a strong country that isnt invaded 😊
@@britishvader2438 I meant except japanese colony, no other colonizers were there in Korea. So how did it reach there.
@@prajwalj9024 Korean war?
"The British Museum‚ The only museum that has nothing British"
@Indian Atheist Maybe you should educate yourself regarding the history of what is india today, before the british. The prototypical exploitation culture.
@Average Soviet Gamer Its not
Their is no 'godess shiva'only godess zhiva,'godess shiva'is missprounantion of slavic name ziva,and the name ziva comes from slavic word zivot=zhee.wot.=life.
Because they stole everything, from silk to tea
This sentence doesnt add up. Out of which museums?🤣 i know a ton that dont have anything british
7:40 “You cannot claim to be an encyclopedic collector of stolen objects.” ☝🏾
yes you can
I'm a collector of stolen Television screens
I’m Iraqi and some of our stuff is at the British museum, even tho I might never get to see it face to face and that the British (army, rulers, etc) who divided us are the ones to own it but I’m still glad they have it. I know my government would never be able to take care of anything which is honestly sad
يي صح مافي تقدير للفن هنا بس السرقه تبقى خطا
Where you all go wrong in life is by saying the British... we didn't and don't have any say in what our government decide... similar to the people of palestine, they voted in hamas and that doesn't yield great results for them.
@@user-yu2cl6xs3p صح والله مع العلم اني اكره الغرب كره ما يعلمه إلا الله
@@benjeffery9958 sorry about that I meant it as the British rulers and army (and those who stand with them)
thanks for being honest, instead of just blaming or whining
So ancient artifacts to the British is like oil to Americans.
yes and those artifacts worth higher than oil
Fax
Double shots fired
difference is the US actually produces oil
@@jwb2734 yup, it used to be like Saudi Arabia and China combined.
''Most Nigerians will never see them'' that's really heartbreaking.
@Joey Two Chins lol you mad
Britain should suffer for its atrocities
They must pay to its former coloinies
@@supremediscordmod5744 how so? I'm in my 20s, I had nothing to do with anything before the 1980s.
@@tumainitiger4655 you are holding our stolen things and you refuse to give it back so you are in a way responsible for this
I feel so enraged. Our history, our culture, our artifacts and our gemstones being represented as a 'public attraction' after being stolen. Why doesn't anyone speak out about this? All of the countries need their artifacts and pride back.
Should Germany be given back its historical lands now that the war is over and we're all friends?
@@vastrove7746 Germany is a country and artifacts are different from countries. The comparison cannot be made
I’ve been looking and it’s notoriously difficult to find any provenance information on these collections. These sick people don’t even display most of the collection. It’s just sitting in their storage. Sick
There is no evidence they were stolen most were traded and there is only a handful that are dubious. The british discovered the eygptian artifacts the eygptians didnt know what they were many had been vandalised and still are. There would be no eygptian history like tutankhaman as it was the british archaelogists that discovered it. Same in crete with minoan but most is still in crete
Many of these artifacts won’t even be in one piece in many of these countries, they would simply be sold to the highest bidder or horribly maintained. Furthermore, some of these relics really do have disputed ownership, as many countries can hold claim to it, as history and geography are two different things. Maintaining priceless history comes before all of this.
In 1972 while viewing the British Museum of Art I was astounded at the vast collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts and mummies that were on display. Back then I thought that these pieces should be returned to Egypt
"The British Museum is full of stolen artifacts" *pretends to be shocked*
Your name is "Roman" Just saying an roman emperor personally owned all of egypt
@@sosopwsi829Jjw9 okaay ...?
@@sosopwsi829Jjw9 but did he put egypt in a museum tho hmm
@@richardw6859 how very insightful. thank you for your wise words i guess
GASP!!
What I understood from the comments is that the British people are proud of their legacy of colonialism. They see nothing wrong with how these articles were acquired. A vast majority still believe that they are superior to other cultures. They think that developing countries can't be trusted with preserving their own heritage. Their mindset is still colonial.
Exactly it’s so weird that they think this is ok
Stealing is ok right? But i get your point they cant preserve their own cultural history.
@Edward Shearmur Promoting Culture is not Colonising India is not better than English in cricket We are nowadays doing good and We were always Rich We were the richest during mughal empire
Thief generation to next generation.
@Edward Shearmur See this is the attitude people have Problem with, The Soo called Royal Family should acknowledge that they were no colonizers, they were just another Brutal Monarchy who left countries in Pieces, The Amount Money stolen By Britain, Thry won't be able to pay back in 100 yrs soo there's no point in that, People just want they stop calling themselves Great, They were just one of worst people May be not as Bad as German or Japanese but that doesn't make them Good
Imagine, stealing culturally significant artifacts that complaining about being asked to return it
Because they’re safer in the museum 😂
The artefacts wouldn’t exist without the British custodianship.
I believe California had recently just returned a bunch of museum artifacts that were stolen from different places. The British museums should do the same thing and return what they stole.
Will the US return stolen land to the natives?
@@JustinHH22 Nobody out here speaks face to face unless they're lying and acting. They won't even talk about the secret microchip implants. They're trying to own the thoughts in our heads now.
Netherland too
the brits are still bitter they had to return the land, you're asking for too much
@@grilledflatbread4692 Are we? I don't think anyone in the UK cares.
"British museum still behaves like a colonial museum" That was some line😅
Proven crimes but the brits never stop making accusation on others to this date.
@@Shane9251 Right, ISIS n all… a result of colonization n enslaving it’s population for generations, keeping them poor, uneducated, etc. No excuse for poor behaviour!
@@Shane9251 Vibrant bcoz of trading from China, where true wealth lies till today, explained why the need to contain China for milking…
@@Shane9251 HK has more freedom than US b4 recent sabotaged episode, abusing those freedom resulting in Beijing’s reaction. They r doing the same towards Taiwan. I don’t promote violence, worse, war. Going to the source is the right way, not beating around the bushes.
@@Shane9251 HK was nvr a choice. There was a contract. That’s what I meant, beating around the bush.
one of the weirdest experiences ive had was back when I lived in Nigerian I had a school trip to the uk to see nigerian artifacts because of a history unit. I had to travel to see my own countries artifacts .
How sad is that 😞. Hope one day it gets back to the negerian soil 🙏🏼
You must be part of the elites. Not many Africans can afford to go to field trips abroad.
Thats how sad it is They have openly displayed the stolen objects and rightful owners can't do anything This is what the so called gentleman country is
@@TheGreenlove87 Not even some european schools can afford that...
To see them in such well preserved and protected at a world class institution. Honestly tell me, how would've your national treasures fare in your country's third rate infrastructure? They would've been destroyed during war, famine or dictators would've been smuggled or sold them to fund wars.
I think its better if its kept there, in my home country there's mountains with manmade holes in them where my ancestors lived and there were many precious artifacts. But locals and tourists took them and now they're essentially lost, it wouldve been better for them to be preserved in the museum for thousands to see.
I am African and let me tell you something about these objects ; These objects would’ve ended up in the same museums today anyway had any African found them , they would’ve sold them to the best offering price . So let’s not pretend that we would’ve kept them in our museums back then when we didn’t even have a piece of bread let alone museums. Respectfully.
" *They Destroyed our Future and stole our past* "
I wish this had more likes cause PREACH!!
great word!
TRUE
Rule Britannia Britannia ruled the waves Britain never never never shall be slaves !!
@@Gambo517 they made us slaves.
Imagine having to travel to the other side of the world just to see a part of your own culture
I thank the brits for preserving them, for most of my culture has been lost due to japanese occupation.
@@finnian3931 you sound like you're suffering from Stockholm
I think that all the colonial powers should have to give back everything they stole from the people who where affected by this including the 45 trillion usd that uk stole from india!
@@finnian3931 You need a psychologist
Even worse, it's London 😰
Britishers says== the British Museum. Indian says == Thieves Market 😂
Why would it be a market? We don't sell them, that's what corrupt countries do.
These stolen artifacts should all be returned to its origins. It's just a disgrace to showcase these in a museum by the people who stole it. Shows the low humanity can get.
The irony is that the British were so busy stealing other people's history that their own history cannot find space in London. I was shocked that London does not have a dedicated Anglo-Saxon history museum when I visited last year. Only small ignored corners of the British museum has things like the Sutton Hoo treasure being dwarfed under the glory of the Egyptian and Middle-Eastern collection. I was genuinely feeling sorry for them.
@Peggy Wiley How is historic Britain somehow an enemy of god?
@@RealMailou Yes, "historic" thieves.
@@khemistrycreators4845 But still how are they an enemy of god...
@@RealMailou When did I say they were an enemy of God?
@@khemistrycreators4845 And did I say that you did call them an enemy of god??? I want an answer from the other guy, yet you responded to me.
As John Oliver once said: "The British Museum is basically an active crime scene"
@chris muller Comparing people to artifacts that were forcibly taken from people under oppressive regimes? Great thinking,pal.
@Leo Maunsell I couldn't be more clearly talking to that guy
@Leo Maunsell I didn't deny you anything in the first place. What are you on about
@chris muller so your plan is to bankrupt The British Economy?? Alrighty then
Yes . Even they made their most valuable crown using a stolen diamond from India.
When I travelled to the British museum for the first time in 2016, I was stunned to find out it had an entire collection of Chinese artifacts that spanned the entirety of the Chinese civilization, from Neolithic Age to 1949, some of the items were so rare that you can't even find in China. and in showroom No.95, an astonishing display of all the Chinese porcelain they looted from imperial China during the opium war, including the rarest Yuan Blue and white porcelain dragon vase. it was a very disheartening visit, I left with tears on my face
Well they exist today for a reason, the British museum.
These items will remain there to shame the Chinese how silly and weak their forefathers were.
@@Zelenskyy9 Preserving stolen artifacts to shame a nation is hardly a noble cause. Let's focus on understanding history and fostering mutual respect, acknowledging that past actions don't define the strength of a people. Museums should be spaces for cultural exchange, not perpetuating narratives of conquest and humiliation.
Sorry 😢
Thankfully the British museum saved those Chinese artifacts from the cultural revolution.
However, it is also true if they have not kept them, they may have been destroyed.
It’s a solid proof that Britain is not ashamed of its crime history.
why would we be ashamed we didnt do nothing
@@captainkenzie6873 We didn't do anything either and yet we got pillaged, looted and killed 🤷♂️
@@captainkenzie6873 Did you failed history class?
@@captainkenzie6873 ahhh double negative …
@@captainkenzie6873 Britain are great now because all the crimes they did in the past lol But hey I'm not shaming you because now most people are good and have nothing to do with what their ancestors did
My boyfriend used to be one of the managers in security there, he told me they hid so many artifacts there in storage and he got to see them. He was told they’ll never been shown to people as it would cause a lot of controversy
But most museums do have storage areas that hold at least twice the amount of artifacts displayed to public. That’s not unusual but they need to have a register that should hold all information that should be accessible.
That’s the artifact that they want us to see. God knows what else they have stolen they are afraid to show because that may start riots and hate toward england
Tf? You'd expect at least one guy to snap a quick pic and leak it .
I reckon someday the contents will be leaked
Wow! The audacity of the men from the caucus mountain!
I didn't realize museum artifacts had stories like this behind them. I thought they were discovered on archaeology digs and such, so I didn't get why people were demanding them back. But in this case you have this man who never saw his country's artifacts until he went to a different country. That is kind of sad.
I am an Indian and British literally stole all our precious artifacts. Even the crown that queen proudly used to wear was "Kohinoor" which the British forcefully took from us. But one day, one day we take it all back.
Greece is calling, it wants it's statues back
I still remember the words that my tourist guide in Athens said when she painfully had to show us the copies of the marbles of the Parthenon instead of the original ones, kept inside the British Museum. She said:"When I visited the British museum they called Lord Elgin an important archeologist for bringing the marbles to England, but I call him a thief."
@JHB Luck destroying a piece of history is *NOT* equal to the repatriation of stolen artifacts, and *you* as someone that has no first hand experience and coloring your glasses with emotions in something that happened over a 100 years ago has no right to feel angry about historical facts and depictions of such things, rather you should accept these things as facts and something to be viewed with an objective lens and be learned upon Tangina pare, ikinagagalit mo pa ung nangyari nung panahon ng kanununuan mo? Walang kwenta yang sintementong yan, sa halip na pagaralan mo dinadaan mo sa emosyon? Tsk
@@zaneluman7573 you didn't understand anything. 1) I didn't say that these pieces shouldn't stay in a museum. 2) I said that the Greek museum had to show copies of the marbles of the Parthenon because the originals are inside the British Museum. Shouldn't the citizens of Athens and Greece be the first ones to have the right and the possibility to see the masterpieces that were created by they ancestors? 3) why are Greek people supposed to make the effort to travel all the way to England to see those masterpieces (which are as important as the naked structure of the Parthenon you see in Athens today)? My tourist guide was lucky enough to get to see them once in her lifetime in London, but who knows how many Greek people will never get a chance to see those sculptures, because those are in London.
Luca Godina i love you😭 that’s exactly how i was gonna answer
I’m Greek and English and I’m sorry but the only reason the English took the marbles was because they were in danger of being destroyed, no one cared for the Parthenon until the English archaeologists can with was used as a store for weapons and destroyed multiple times, as someone who is fiercely proud of their Greek heritage I would much rather the marbles be safe in Britain than dust in Athens which they would’ve been without English intervention
@@caradowland5530 Indeed, but now it's the time for Britain to return them back to Athens. Especially since the new Acropolis museum is now operating which is quite advanced and very capable of hosting those pieces and in perfect shape.
When I visited Taj Mahal, all the engraved precious stones were missing, some of it were stolen by the locals, but most of it is in British museum.
If Britishers could they would have taken uprooted whole tajmahal as such and taken it to the London. if it was possible
no, no they didnt
@MsMissyand you get to decide what did and didn't happen?
@@kkesarr and you can apparently?
At least it’s the stones are in a place where people can see them rather them being sold on the black market.
They better not charge entry fee for anyone to see these beautiful works of arts from around the world.
to be fair, it is free entry for all
>"British" Museum >Looks inside >Non British artifacts.
60% of artifacts in the British Museum are from the British Isles
Let me guess You’ve never visited the museum, haven’t you?
About a quarter of the museum's artifacts they present publicly are from Western Europe (British Isles, France, Germany, Scandanavia, Italy).
So basically the Indiana Jones series is about the greatest thief of all time.
Not as bad as Taiwan
“That belongs in a museum”
always has been
Hate to hear it, but yes
@@KCJbomberFTW Taiwan actually saved those artifacts by stealing them, a weird twist of history.
They have even looted the word “loot” itself.
Lol... so apt .
Loot Crate
Lol. I couldn’t help but to laugh 🤭
So u came here after watching Shashi tharoor on Oxford union
Honestly!!!
Seeing how priceless antiquities kept in their native countries can be so easily destroyed or looted, as was the case with the museums in Egypt around 2013-2014, it's for the best that some of the treasures were kept safe in Britain. I'm not saying I agree with the British Museum owning and collecting so many pieces of other cultures history, but to see how regimes like the Taliban have destroyed numerous ancient sites and artifacts it makes me grateful that a lot is kept in Britain.
What do you mean safe? Have you not heard about the recent news coverage about artefacts stolen from the SUPPOSEDLY safe British museum bring sold on eBay? They are not safe at all!!
British and French destroyed the old summer palace in China, don’t talk about destruction unless you want to include the west in that too
the british museum has destroyed many items under its ownership. and many of the items can be kept safe- take the acropolis museum for example. it’s beautiful and preserves the history of art
@@georgek4598 that was 0.00025% of the collection; they are very safe
So how about I steal your home because I will take better care of it, As an Indian you will never understand how angry we feel when we have to go around the world to see things made by our ancestors. Who in the world is so shameless to display their loot in glass panels for the world to see? The British of course.
If these artifacts were not stored in the British museum, its likely that nobody writing these comments would even know about them.
🤓
Something a thief with no history would say
I completely agree with this statement.
You must be South African .
@@NubiansNapataI ain’t gonna disagree on the thief part but no History?
Imagine if thousands of years ago someone stole the English crown and sceptre and put it in their museum and refused to give it up, poms would probably be livid.
Let's do that.🤣
They'll do anything to get it back, heck probably even start a war or something.
jokes on you, the diamond that adorns it was from India anyway!
lol it is from India😂😂
They would wage war for it 😂
"The sun doesn't set in the British empire because even god doesn't trust the British in the dark"
Oh it's about to set
so God trusted british in the light instead? that's nice
@Your Majesty, I'm British.
That's hilarious.
Wow, this line...
A thief can never have a title superior to those of the original owners
To think many of these artifacts would still be in the same pristine condition if they where at their original location is mad 😂 they would have been stolen, vandalized or just degraded over time, the only reason they want them back is because they have been so well kept unlike the majority of the artifacts that stayed in their original location.
Some Country: *Has some Ancient History* Britain: is for me?
Your pfp describes what the British thought when they saw those artifacts
Lul
@@ae4042 bruhh
☺ 👉👈 Is for me?
why do you have a an interrogation sign. I think it is in fact: british:it is for me! 👿
The british museum to greece : we can't return the marbles of the parthenon to you because you don't have a museum to display them in Greece: *builds the acropolis museum * The british museum: ok yes BUT-
Same thing with Egypt they built the biggest museum in the world
If they thought the Greeks would return them they would no doubt regularly lend them to them...
@@martinmcnulty8155 why should greece return them?
@@frostedcherrypie5440 Why should the British museum lend them to them? And I won't go in to the argument of Britain buying them from their legal owners at the time...
@@martinmcnulty8155does having parts of a singular temple scattered all around the globe make sense to you? They were stolen not legally bought
"These items may be artificats or little trinkets to you people but to us they represent our history and culture a part of that we were robbed"
"The sun never sets in the British Empire coz even god doesn't trust the British in the dark" - sashi tharoor
Actually that a Spanish phrase so they stole that's too
@@robespierre466 it's not stolen it was mentioned by an indian in the debate over what Britishers did to india and its wealth.
U stole that from another comment
@@vijaykoul5147 That phrase was first used by the Spanish.
Even india is bad
I visited The Egyptian Museum in 2019. I saw the Rosetta stone there and I was thrilled when I saw it. Then it felt weird that such an important piece was being mostly ignored by everyone and not well displayed... Then the guide told me of course it was a replica 😞 Same happened when I visited Athens in the Acropolis museum. It was like a joke that I had with my husband... Ah! Let me guess, the piece is in the British Museum, of course!
I don't think there is one real artifact in Egypt.
@@namessteeth9818 the pyramids. That's it i think
😔
The locals didn't care about that history at that time and most of those artifacts would of ended up in private collections. At least now the common people have a chance to see them
@@SA2004YG who gets decide that?
These artifacts would probably be lost if not in the Museum
The most ignorant comment here so far
Let us guess...Brit, German or French?...Museum employee perhaps?
Like there are no museum in the world
When prof. Chika speaks I really feel him !
The British didn't just loot national treasures, some were also destroyed such as the Singapore Stone which had centuries old Javanese or Sanskrit inscription.
the british also destroyed the parthenon in athens, elgin stole the parthenon marbles and he also damaged part of the erechtheion so he can stole one of the original maiden statutes.
@@mikerazor8246 You're a liar. The Ottomans destroyed the Parthenon.
Singapore Stone sounds like something from a fiction novel written by an 8 year old Filipino.
Yeah the Parthenon information is incorrect, it was seen of little value by the Ottomans and actually damaged during a conflict with them and the Venetians, so this nobleman went through this long ordeal to acquire the pieces in order to spare them from the long period of dereliction that had occurred under the Ottomans
The slab was blown up in 1843 during British colonial rule to clear and widen the passageway at the river mouth to make space for a fort and the quarters of its commander D.H. Stevenson. The Stone, now displayed at the National Museum of Singapore, was designated by the museum as one of 11 National Treasures of Singapore in January 2006,
How many conflicts you wanna create? British history: yes
HMMM I THINK WE CAN USE A STRAIGHT LINE TO CREATE A SINGLE COUNTRY OUT OF THESE MULTIPLE CONFLICTING GROUPS WE OWN
@@naur6972 Did you steal some artifacts or loot the entire continent of Asia?
What you looking at r u fr ? They killed the people they stole from did u even watched the video
Interesting fact. America is stolen land
How many nations you wanna create? British History: 43
Summer 2023 update: now a bit less full
The museum should be called the Raiders of the British Empire
Everyone: why do you have so many artifacts? British museum: the secret ingredient is crime.
The so-called "British" Museum even steals artefacts from other parts of the United Kingdom. Whenever an important find is made anywhere in the UK, it automatically ends up in the storerooms of the British Museum. They have so avariciously grabbed anything and everything that they couldn't possibly display all of "their" artefacts if they began rolling displays for the next 1,000 years! This culture of "grabbing" anything and everything must end!
Facts
@@rickbear7249 shouldve been called "the grinch's museum"
Super Hans
@Charles conquest is theft so i'm not really sure what you're trying to prove here buddy...
Other countries: yes I have made this thing British: "our" thing
Omg,i am dying
Did they really make it? Or does it date from a previous civilisation?
@QE ornotQE I see what you mean! Yes, all made by earthlings! Alien civilizations were not involved in the creation of the Pyramids, Easter Island heads or Nazca lines.
“Oh don’t worry, maybe I’ll let you borrow back this item that I stole from you. Aren’t I generous?”
Comrade
Giving back cultural artifacts is a must, but having the proper structure to preserve them and making them easy for other cultures to see them and learn their rich history is also a must. Sadly this second part seems to fail too
All in all, the British just had a knack for collecting national treasures from people of countries they deemed as ‘not worthy’ of these artifacts. So British of them 🙄
Can we have our history back? British: But we are still looking at it
If it was rightly purchased then no :)
hahaha James Acaster
At least credit Acaster sheesh...joke thief. The irony is palpable, at least the museum has a plaque telling you where it came from.
And who is "we" exactly ? ...
jokes are told to be retold, thats the beauty of jokes. Unless you are a professional comedian that charges people money to see an original program there is nothing wrong with "stealing jokes". Plus I wasnt even aware at the time of writing where I heard it before. But just so you can put your internet handcuffs away TBZ, yes it was james acaster that I got it from.
I think it’s a good idea to have a massive museum, showcasing all the amazing things about humans and history, but they should be gifted to the museum by various countries, not stolen. 🤨
I do think that the artefacts should only return if they have somewhere safe that the country wants to keep it. If it doesn’t, I think Britain should pay for it, as long as it’s a reasonable request, and the country is fairly small/under-developed.
WORLD MUSEUM LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
@@kamartaylor7963 the middle east is a horrible place to place a museum
@@Cecilia-ky3uw It's a horrible place for anything.
@@louduva9849 Well I guess so
So is the Louvre, you know. the most visited museum in the world, but no one ever wants to have that conversation….
Sadly, these items are probably safer in the hands of the british museum
They came, they saw, they stole.
they conquered
@@WhatAreFingers no, "they divided and conquer"
@@kolyxix that how they conquered
@@chev3569 yep, they split india into 2 countries. India and Pakistan, ruining the entire country and creating more conflict.
"Description of a thief"
Disputed ownership" is a typically British way of saying something is stolen. And as John Oliver once said: "The British Museum is basically an active crime scene".
I agree
Even the british queen use stolen diamond in her crown.
It wasn't stolen
Well, other countries aren't exactly known for preserving theirs
the fact that an *Egyptian* museum exists in Berlin solely because of stolen artifacts just makes me wonder how many museums Egypt could open if they get their artifacts, from all over the world, back.
Yeah... They could open as many museums as they want and break apart world's heritage with unprofessional practices. But good that those artifacts are kept safe in Germany for now.
Most of the Egyptian stuff was actually stolen by local people from the tombs, temples and graves. Why do you think the stuff Berlin has is stolen? The archaeologists had permits and were only allowed to take a portion of the finds out, hence why the King Tut mask is in Egypt rather than at Downton Abbey.
@@ElGrandoCaymano First of all tutankhamun is not a king. Downton abbey is a drama not a place and again, the artifacts were stolen from Egypt. Putting in a musem doesn't justify stealth.
@@SV-tz8do King Tut's not a king? And Downton Abbey had no role? You've obviously never been there or else you seriously misunderstand satire...
@@ElGrandoCaymano tutankhamun was a pharaoh not a king, two different titles. Downton abbey is a drama, not a real place. Maybe your refering to the real estate that inspired Downton abbey where the funding for the search of the mask came, but what does that have to do with satire exactly?
As a person who lives in Britain, I can assure you they do not teach us that these are stolen. They say that they traded large amounts to get these artefacts or "help" them with difficulties being faced in their country.
Sometimes they did trade stuff or sign agreements, but with other powers currently in control of said country. Like Elgin made a deal with the Ottomans for the Marbles as at that time they controlled Greece
Some of the Agreements signed in a lot of former colonies were only understood by the British Our ancestors were swindled into signing away land and ownership of a lot of things
i thought it was kinda a given that they were stolen
Even the sanitized version sounds shady if you stop to think about them. Like Uriah’s all these people suffered hardships shortly after the British colonizers arrived. I wonder what caused them?
What is wrong with you, there wasn't any difficulty back then , the places British empire invaded was wealthy , they didn't need help
All these countries should unite and get these artifacts back.
They don’t take care of them. They’re better off there. Look what happen in Iraq…
It’s so funny how British people still somehow find a way to justify this. So funny
Conquering is the 1 claim to fame that the British have without that history what are they? Funny sounding people who live on a cold, wet, miserable rock? Who knows, maybe they still keep them for attention?
@@louduva9849 if you like my tears, then you will definitely like my Bergers!
@@Raifesllangley that's what I'm saying! The British have achieved some genuinely great things! The industrial revolution, the technology's you mentioned, the first modern radar system, and so much more! So why do they only show off the parts the half the world hates?
@@louduva9849 Because you never learnt another set of a dialogue with your royal @$$ licking loyalty. So stop gloating ciint,,, Besides you know how many words you borrowed from other languages & dialects like a beggar tailoring . The priest was genuinely trying to correct you...
@@priestofronaldalt we're really not proud of colonialism anymore, we were around 50 years ago true but in modern Britain its much more of a black mark against our history. Most young people are appalled by it.
Land: *exists* The British: Hippity hoppity this is my property
Oo ah up the ra
How about you go after the CCP who are doing that at this very second?
@@averageGoat_meh_eh_eh_eh don't you think we are?
@@averageGoat_meh_eh_eh_eh because, it was apart of China since the ancient times, but they only lost it due to wars and unfair treaties
@@barnythepurpledinosaur9689 you don't get to destroy your own cultural heritage, through your pitiful "great leap forward", and then claim land that once belonged to a dynasty that has no relation to the cess pool that is the ccp.
if British museum return those artifacts, will they be displayed for publicity or find it way back to the black market ? Think clearly before criticizing them for stealing !!
Of course a Vietnamese person is only against giving back African artefacts 😂 interesting take 🤨
So if it's not yours, why keep it?
Like it or not, a lot of the cultures where these items were taken from didn't place a lot of value on those pieces, themselves. The locals were too busy surviving; they took it "for granted"; the (somewhat moer advanced) society of Victorian Britain took a greater interest in cultural heritgaes. (Because they "could afford" that type of "kuxury." Now, about 100 years later, when other cultures "caught up" / realized their artifacts are valued by others, now they want these items repatriated. For obvious reasons.
Somewhere in a British school: If David has two artifacts and Dinesh has two artifacts, then how many artifacts is David going to have?
um 2 sir :,( Edit: I absolutely do not understand how and why did I write 2 here. Apologies
haha :D 2+2=4 sir :D
David will have 3 and Dinesh (who is an awkward, socially inept child) gave David one of his artifacts in gratitude for David not allowing the school bullies to torment little Dinesh.
@@TheSteveRobinson And David goes on to racially abuse, torment, systematically loot Dinesh and kills his kins. While growing his own wealth and draining everything out of once very rich people.
@@omeshsingh7072 Perhaps if little Dinesh and his friends joined together, the situation might have been different. But, they didn't. So, 10 Davids dominated 10,000 Dinesh'es. C'est la vie.
so basically when the rich people steal something its not illegal and they aren't punished for their action.
Unfortunately yes
there is a name for that its called capitalism
rich *white people
@ Alison Lopez , ?
Legality is only for those who don't have the power to make their own laws...
The British museum is full of many protected and preserved artifacts. Fixed your title to make it more accurate.
The British museum is full of many protected and preserved artifacts stolen by the British criminals. How about that?
@@ARRR-SAUROPHAGANAX We didn't steal them, they drifted safely into our hands
"Hi Auntie!" Pretty sure Kingmonger took all the vibranium out
If our "Taj Mahal" was movable, they would've shifted it to London.
Britishers?
😐
@@oscarosullivan4513 yeah thats what indians call the british
they took the jewel from there
Kohinoor yea
I saw a comment and it will never leave my head. If for example, the Royal British Crown was stolen, it would be seen as a worldwide crime. How ironic that it's completely okay to steal another country's entire history while if ONE crown made up of stolen jewels were to be stolen, it would cause international dismay..
history is wirtten by victors, like it or not. Plus is it only uk to blame for what happened? Whats about corrupt officials who were concerned about their own wealth rather than the development of their own country to oppose colonial empires?
@@jadequincy9177 so if corrupt officials were really the problem, and then came a time when Americans own the British isles, and try to shift the royal crown to DC because "it doesn't deserve to be in a place where there's no power", and the ministers in the isles would be okay with it because it would mean a better position with the rulers, would you call it a conqueror's interest or stealing hands?
@@kaushiksaikadali7460 well they are both products of the same west European civilization, it would make no sense to demonstratively rob your ally and ignite civil unrest in UK. You could rather make them rely on your economy and military power so that you can have them in your pocket (what Americans actually do). Plus UK is top 5 world economy and possess nuclear power that's why it would be quite foolish of US to start such a conflict - neither Americans nor British will understand and they won't gain any profit from it, especially when they already share many common enemies such as China and Russia
Hehe, welllllllll, in the Netherlands one of the British crowns was put l, and still is, up for display after we stole it. Interestingly, a lot of royal made crowns where gifted to other countries by the British as a sign of trust. On the voyage to gift one of these the duch marine interfered and took the British boat and everything it owns. And honestly, who cares if the crown was stolen 100+ years ago? If it was today sure people would be mad, but when it's antiant history?
@@jadequincy9177 What about The gold and jewels the British empire stole?
Update, now they want back their stolen artifacts. When the British Museum steal from others, it is "contested", when others steal from the British Museum it is "stolen"
What’s the difference between artifacts being in Britain as compared to being “returned” to GOVERNMENTS that have nothing to do with the culture these pieces originate from? Britain has the best track record in human history for actually preserving these items. Egypt is a country which frequently challenges Britain over similar artifacts for example. Egyptian government has also been known to deconstruct ancient sites for BUILDING MATERIALS and for selling countless treasures to private bidders. China is a different sort of example where their government is constantly found to be just blatantly destroying their history so it can be written to a modern agenda. For this reason, many Chinese historical artifacts are centralized in places like Taiwan and Korea. Again another government as well who has nothing to do with the people and cultures of that region in ancient times. These arguments are mostly based on social constructs like race and nationality is generally just framed from a really illogical position. Our history should be as accessible as possible to as many people as possible so information can be exchanged as freely as possible. I use the word our specifically, because all history is shared among us regardless of where you were born. Genetics is the only sound right to claim anyone would have, but we all come from the same source and are heading toward the same destination. The way genetics have branched over the centuries it would literally be impossible to identify an owner this way too though. Genetics are not static, they spread and change rapidly over very short periods of time. Historical objects offer us nothing but information, and that information belongs to the human race. It should solely be able assigning responsible stewards over our history. British institutions and government have a better track record at enabling this access more than anyone else for hundreds of years now. The public pays to view these things which pays the bills, but these institutions exists so scientists and scholars from all over the globe can have access to them. Again this is something British institutions just have an unprecedented track record for. Even with ethical questions of the past and genuine mistakes, in this arena they have done less harm than anyone else and more good than anyone combined. Edit: I'm an American and don't have any connection to British sentiments, I just try to look at everything logically.
"The British Museum is full of stolen artifacts" *Every sixty seconds in Africa, a minute passes*
But that minute belongs to the British
Ah, yes.
Should have done a better job protecting them I guess, it’s not like that’s a common theme throughout the entirety of human history
@@WrenchedAdvice exactly its only the British how poor and low can you be to even go out and take what's not yours? Sadly enough you say my ancestors should have protected their OWN artifacts in their OWN land..smh. some ppl WILL NEVER get it
@@Queengalexxi Why do you lot forget forget that humanity as always been like that, even African Empires conquered and took other people's stuff, the Zulus were far more brutal to other Africans than the British Empire ever was
"How do you think your ancestors got these? Did they pay the fair price or did they take it like they took everything else?" -Erik Killmonger
favorite quote from my favorite scene in that entire movie
It's a shame that many of the white audience didnt understand the meaning of that line
@@caspermac yep, they shouldn't have killed killmonger off, he was a great character
According to British courts the Kohinoor was a gift to Queen Victoria. Like India gives gifts that are not ladoos!
@@hannahpaul3256 oh man, i didn't know ancient africans were all peaceful and never once looted their neighbours and rivals in wars
There is my great grandfather's underwear. He washed it and kept outside to dry. And gone.
😅😂
It would be so easy to return the stolen items and put replicas in the British museum instead, visitors wouldn't even care!
Perfectly summed up - "you cannot claim to be an encyclopaedic collector of stolen items". British museum should be renamed as the 'vault of the thieves guild'
Yessir
Idk man less then 1 percent of the items are stolen (remember there are millions of items) so yeah I think that the British must is a pretty good name.
*"The Pirate's Valut"*
"Did someone say vault?" - Mercer Frey
@@pas5735 then how come everybody comes to the British museum for the non-british artifacts. It's literally all the British museum is known for
The British Were Basically Like My 5 Year Old Nephew When He Visits My House.
LOL
I still remember my limited edition meta Pikachu 😢
@@geetanshupreti4625 Nerd 😒
He terrorizes everything and takes anything he pleases when he leave? 😂
LOL🤣🤣