A museum named after the Victorian archaeologist Augustus Pitt Rivers has become a muster point for pro-Palestine anger in the UK due to his colonial legacy.
Students at the University of Oxford have deliberately sited their protest against the fighting in Gaza outside the Pitt Rivers Museum, which they say is an embodiment of the university’s relationship with colonialism, “mirrored in the ongoing struggle of the Palestinian people”.
Human skulls from his private second collection, which he acquired in Egypt, have also been withdrawn from sale, highlighting the "grim reality" of his exploits.
The skulls of 10 men, five women and three people of indeterminate gender were spotted by University of Oxford archaeology professor Dan Hicks being offered for sale by Semley Auctioneers with an asking price of £200-£300 ($250-$375).
Prof Hicks told The National the skulls come from what is known as the “second collection” of Pitt Rivers, which he established at his estate in the Dorset, in the south-west of England and separate from the museum.
While other items from this collection have appeared, Prof Hicks said this was the first time he had seen human remains from there on the open market.
“It's a reminder of the grim reality that this practice is still legal,” said Prof Hicks, who is also a curator of World Archaeology at the Pitt Rivers Museum.
Pitt Rivers was born to a wealthy landowning family in Yorkshire in 1827 and spent most of his life as an army officer during which time he gathered a collection of artefacts from across the world.
He had begun excavating while he was in the army but his interested grew when he started digging up the 110,000 hectare estate he inherited in Dorset.
Pitt Rivers collected ancient Egyptian artefacts and visited the country in 1881. He continued his research throughout his later life and died in 1900.
He can be considered one of the founders of modern archaeology, leading the way in aspects such as a meticulous approach to excavation and recording all the findings on a given site, but his legacy remains problematic for many.
Prof Hicks explained that Pitt Rivers was interested in phrenology, a pseudoscience developed in the 19th century that involved the measurement of bumps on human skulls to determine an individual’s intellect and character.
He said this was the “beginnings of the eugenics movement”, referring to the scientifically inaccurate view that humans could be improved by selective breeding, which has been used to promote racist views. Pitt Rivers' grandson George was one of the wealthiest men in England in the 1930s. He became a director of the second collection and was prominent in the eugenics movement. He was a known anti-Semite and supporter of far-right leader Oswald Mosley, which led to him being interned in 1940 in the UK during the Second World War.
“Seeing them [the skulls] it was a surprise and shock to see human remains of any kind but especially ones of this sort of provenance on the open market.”
He said Pitt Rivers' work in archaeology and anthropology cannot be separated from its origins in the colonial era, when Egypt was made a protectorate of the UK after its military occupied the country in 1882.
“It's a completely uncontentious thing to say that these are disciplines that were built under were forged out of colonialism,” he said.
“We were dealing with their intellectual legacies, we're dealing with their legacies in museums.
“We’re having a host of national conversations at the moment about this late-phase colonialism, in the later 19th and early 20th century, and that phase of history is coming into view, for a new generation and in a different time, for how we deal with these legacies.”
That conversation is now taking place outside the Pitt Rivers Museum, established in 1884 and currently home to 500,000 objects, photographs and manuscripts from all over the world.
Announcing the creation of “liberated zone” encampments for Gaza, the Oxford Action for Palestine and Cambridge for Palestine framed much of their arguments in the context of colonialism.
They said their “universities' wealth and prestige stem directly from their role in the British Empire and its disastrous colonial legacies”.
This includes “the Oxford and Cambridge men who authored the Balfour Declaration in 1917, ceding Palestinian land to the Zionist settler-colonial project”.
Oxford Action for Palestine said its “liberated zone” was placed on the lawn outside the “infamous University of Oxford Pitt Rivers Museum, a disturbing hoard of artefacts stolen from colonised peoples across the world”.
The group said the items had been acquired through “cultural pillaging that define Oxford's legacy”.
“These processes are mirrored in the ongoing struggle of the Palestinian people and connect us to colonised peoples everywhere.”
Semley Auctioneers confirmed the items had now been removed but told The National it had nothing more to add.
Online auction site Saleroom, on which the skulls were listed, removed the items, and the company says it prohibits the sale of body parts.
“These items are legal for sale in the UK and are of archaeological and anthropological interest," it said. "However, after discussion with the auctioneer we have removed the items while we consider our position and wording of our policy.”
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
PRISCILLA
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How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
Overview
Cricket World Cup League Two: Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Syria squad
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Alma, Mahmoud Al Youssef, Ahmad Madania.
Defenders: Ahmad Al Salih, Moayad Ajan, Jehad Al Baour, Omar Midani, Amro Jenyat, Hussein Jwayed, Nadim Sabagh, Abdul Malek Anezan.
Midfielders: Mahmoud Al Mawas, Mohammed Osman, Osama Omari, Tamer Haj Mohamad, Ahmad Ashkar, Youssef Kalfa, Zaher Midani, Khaled Al Mobayed, Fahd Youssef.
Forwards: Omar Khribin, Omar Al Somah, Mardik Mardikian.
PFA Premier League team of 2018-19
Allison (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
Blonde
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
UAE%20athletes%20heading%20to%20Paris%202024
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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