One of the issues related to the study of ancient cultures is the repatriation of art and artifacts. In the past decade there has been quite a bit of effort by certain countries, including Turkey and Italy, to have ancient art and artifacts returned to their original historical contexts. Such is the case with this mosaic of Orpheus, which has been housed in a Dallas museum (click here for article). In some cases, such as this one, museums holding antiquities from ancient contexts, especially pieces whose procurement might be questionable, are taking the first step, returning pieces to their countries of origin. This issue raises a number of questions, including who should be responsible for historical artifacts and what are the benefits of having artifacts "in situ."
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