Sculptures from Bangladesh

[The following text is an example or "case" that can serve as a starting point for reflection and discussion. Some examples may be based on real events, while others are fictional representations.]

Several hundred sculptures from the Pala and Sena periods (1000–1200 AD) from Bangladesh were sold out of the country in the 1970s via corrupt officials. The sculptures, which were Hindu idols, were not considered part of the cultural heritage in an Islamic country, and no one felt a need to preserve them in Bangladesh. As a result, it was likely that they would not be properly preserved, and there was even a risk that they could be actively destroyed if they had remained where they were. The sculptures were regarded as having great cultural and historical value. Let us assume that Professor Holt was offered the opportunity to research several of these sculptures.

Should Professor Holt accept the offer to study these objects? If (not), why? If the authorities had wished to preserve the sculptures but lacked the capacity to do so, would this change the answer to the previous question, and if so, why?

Source: Lars Martin Fosse’s presentation "Antiquities and Corruption" ("Antikviteter og korrupsjon") at the Norwegian Research Ethics Committees' open seminar "Research on Material with Unknown Origin" ("Forskning på materiale med ukjent opphav") on March 17, 2005.

Note: This is a translation of the Norwegian original text by Johanne Svanes Oskarsen.