Launched in 2005 by art historians Beth Harris and Steven Zucker, Smarthistory provides a wealth of resources for teaching and learning art history. One such resource is ARCHES, or the At Risk Cultural Heritage Education Series. This series offers a multimedia online textbook about issues surrounding the preservation of cultural heritage objects. In particular, this collection of short essays, images, and videos explains how important cultural artifacts, including monuments and artwork, are threatened by looting and trafficking. This series also grapples with the colonial legacy of major museums and issues of repatriation. Visitors may want to start by reading the beginner's guide, which provides a definition of cultural heritage and a history of laws and social norms regarding rights to cultural heritage objects. Visitors can also explore the series by endangered heritage subject (Americas, Europe and West Asia, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, Africa). This series may especially appeal to art history and anthropology instructors.
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