Recent Posts
Explaining why a looted artefact should be returned to its country or community of origin can sometimes be straightforward. But explaining how is altogether different
Latest Restitution News
Recent articles added to our comprehensive resource list of restitution news from around the world
MAR 2025
United States
The Manhattan District Attorney's office has repatriated two fragments of Khmer sculptures to the Cambodia government as part of a wider investigation into antiquities trafficking
MAR 2025
Spain
The remains of Fernando Tupac Amaru, the last direct Inca descendant executed in 1781, are to be repatriated by Spain to Cuzco, Peru
MAR 2025
Netherlands
A Pohwith winter drum, sacred to the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Native American tribe, is one of seven objects returned to the Texas-based tribe at a ceremony in Leiden
MAR 2025
United Kingdom
The University of Aberdeen is holding a ceremony today to repatriate the skull of a young man, acquired in the 1850s, to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre
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From the Editor
The latest analysis and reports on cultural restitution news
Explaining why a looted artefact should be returned to its country or community of origin can sometimes be straightforward. But explaining how is altogether different
Laying Ancestors to Rest pulls no punches. The recommendations made in a new policy brief published by the All Party-Parliamentary Group on Afrikan-Reparations (APPG-AR) include making the sale of human remains illegal and putting an end to the public display of ancestral remains
What will it take to break the British Museum’s determination not to explain when an object is ‘unfit to be retained’?
About Cultural Restitution
Cultural restitution is the process by which a moveable object of historic or cultural value is returned to its country of origin after being seized, looted or acquired against the will of its owners. But it's more than just an act of return. It represents a growing recognition of the need to correct injustices committed in the past.
Today, as society’s values and the role of museums change, the legitimacy and ownership of these objects – as well as those thought to be procured legally – are coming under a spotlight. As complicated and sensitive as this debate may be, there’s no halting the growing debate between museums and communities of origin to find solutions that build new bridges of friendship and cooperation. This involves a new approach to restitution built on transparency and fairness - engaging with source communities and ensuring their voice is heard.
EXPLORE
Mapping the location of cultural restitutions
Our extensive Global Archive provides invaluable links to many other restitutions and other restitution news taking place around the world - organised by country.
View our Interactive Map ➔
A Museum Perspective
"This work of redress is a crucial part of the work we want and need to do as it helps to restore trust and understanding, and builds hope for a future of peace through partnership."
Professor Dr Laura van Broekhoven, Director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford (Nov 2024)
