Partage in archaeology: dividing finds

Partage refers to a historical practice (19th c.-early 20th c.) of dividing excavation finds between a host country and the financial sponsors of an excavation. The division of finds helped fund many archaeological projects in Egypt and Sudan, trained academics, enriched western museum collections, and increased public awareness of ancient cultures outside of the countries of origin. Because artifacts collected through partage were excavated, rather than acquired through the art market, the contexts of their recovery are usually known. Most of the artifacts displayed in this exhibition are products of partage. However, the practice has also been criticized for separating finds from the assemblages in which they belonged and for taking place under conditions of political and economic asymmetry between host and sponsoring countries. Partage was abandoned in many countries after the enactment of national cultural patrimony laws. You can read more about partage here.