From Ann Altman
Further to the row over the legality of auctioning a dinosaur skeleton in the US (26 May, p 4), one international convention of no small import is the .
It states that “cultural property” is that which, on religious or secular grounds, is specifically designated by a state as being important for archaeology, prehistory, history, literature, art or science. It includes objects of palaeontological interest as one of the categories.
The convention adds that the import, export or transfer of ownership of cultural property contrary to the convention by states party to it, shall be illicit. The US is party to the convention.
New York, US
