Sturt Manning, the Goldwin Smith Professor of Classical Archaeology in the classics department, writes in this CNN opinion piece that Hobby Lobby's decision to buy more than 5,000 artifacts from the ancient Near East in December 2010 is "tragic."
"These objects have been ripped out of archaeological sites with no documentation and now forever lack context and key associations -- the kind of valuable information possible only with careful scientific excavation by archaeologists," Manning writes. "This looting occurs because there is, sadly, a market for these objects -- even if this trade is illegal in many countries. We will now never know the full archaeological history of the 5,548 objects Hobby Lobby bought for $1.6 million."
Sreang Hok/Cornell University
At center, holding her award, is Abra Geiger ’26, recipient of the 2026 University Relations Campus-Community Leadership Award. Left to right, with her are Erik Herman, creative director of the Free Science Workshop/Ithaca Physics Bus; Kyle Kimball, vice president for university relations; Cassaundra Guzman, McNair Program advisor/coordinator; and Marla Love, Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students.