ETHIOPIA, THE AKSUM OBELISK, AND THE RETURN OF AFRICA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE
本文回顾了埃塞俄比亚在1868年和1936-1941年两次遭受外国掠夺的历史，特别是阿克苏姆方尖碑的归还问题，为当前殖民时期文物归还讨论提供先例。
Ethiopia, an ancient African state, has suffered from extensive foreign looting twice in modern times. Firstly, in 1868, when the British expedition against Emperor Tewodros II looted crowns, crosses and religious manuscripts from his mountain fortress of Maqdala. The second occasion was during the Italian Fascist occupation of 1936–1941, when the invaders seized crowns, state papers, and one of the famous early fourth century obelisks of Aksum. Both acts of looting are relevant to current discussion on the return to Africa of artifacts looted during the colonial era, for which they provide precedents. The looting of Maqdala was followed, in the ensuing century, by the British Government's gradual restitution to Ethiopia of several looted artifacts—though the lion's share still remains in Britain. Fascist Italy's defeat in the Second World War was followed in 1947 by an Italian Peace Treaty with the United Nations, in which Italy agreed to return all loot taken from Ethiopia. Most, but by no means all, articles were returned. The Aksum obelisk, however, remained in Rome. This led to Ethiopian, and international, agitation, after which the Italian Government agreed to the obelisk's return. This has, however, still to be effected.