Exactly and frankly, I'm wondering if museums and universities have a leg to stand on. They exploited peasants decades ago and took things known to be valuable but the locals often believed to be worthless. Even with clear lines of sale or transfer (as in this case) these antiquities can obviously be worth millions today. I'm a firm believer in "finders keepers" but I don't think a court of law would see it the same way.....
This is circular reasoning. Who caused them eventually to be worth millions? Are the present inhabitants of the source of these "treasures" willing to pay what they are "worth" today? I didn't think so.
A treasure, as anything else, is worth no more and no less than what someone is willing to pay for them.
Let's suppose. Suppose all these treasures are returned no questions asked. Not even the expense made to restore and preserve them, or to warehouse them in special environments.
Further suppose that the present inhabitants of these sterling countries decide to sell them to the highest bidders. Would you prevent them from repeating the original mistake? By what authority?
And if not, what's to prevent the repetition of this charade in another 100 years?