Abstract
Ancient art, artifacts, and architecture have long excited the intellectual curiosity and acquisitive passions of private and institutional collectors who, in turn, have funded archaeological research, preservation initiatives, and public education. Yet, the procurement of these goods also has encouraged looting and trafficking activities. Supplying collectors has destroyed much cultural evidence in source countries and has raised questions about who should control heritage and history. This article investigates the market for Peruvian antiquities, the surviving material culture created by the country’s inhabitants before the Spanish Conquest. It briefly reviews Peru’s early history and the history of collecting its artifacts, and surveys the contemporary market for Peruvian antiquities. Then, some implications this marketing system and underlying consumer demand have for the preservation of Peru’s cultural heritage are considered. The points of view of market participants, critical publics, and local people are examined and strategies for protecting antiquities from the market are proposed and evaluated.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Witkowski, Terrence H.
(2017)
"Peruvian Antiquities and the Collecting of Cultural Goods,"
Markets, Globalization & Development Review:
Vol. 2:
No.
4, Article 3.
DOI: 10.23860/MGDR-2017-02-04-03
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/mgdr/vol2/iss4/3
Included in
Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, Marketing Commons
Author Bio
Terrence H. Witkowski is Professor of Marketing and Director of the International Business Program at California State University, Long Beach. Educated at Northwestern, UCLA, and UC Berkeley, he has published one book, over 125 journal articles, book chapters, conference papers and abstracts, book reviews, and other works. He focuses on marketing and consumer history with additional research in international marketing.