Paul Stewens

Screenshot of the 'Most Read'articles section from the London Review of International Law, published by Oxford Academic. The list includes articles on palaeontological objects as cultural property, international law and Gaza, transitional justice and decolonisation, the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, and the global attack on academic freedom.

Found out that my new #OA paper "A classification unearthed: the history of palaeontological objects as cultural property in international law" is currently the most read piece in the London Review of International Law! If you're curious what the hype is all about: doi.org/10.1093/lril...

A classification unearthed: the history of palaeontological objects as cultural property in international law Abstract. Fossils are an overlooked yet threatened category of cultural property. This article traces how they became protected by international law under

Fossils are cultural objects - and this is not some woke b*llshit that people come up nowadays to spoil the fun in #palaeontology; this classification actually has a long history.
If you're curious how fossils became #culturalproperty under int'l law, check my new paper: doi.org/10.1093/lril...

There will be much more to say, esp. against the background of my research on the legal classification of hominin fossils. Watch this space for a blog post, and in the meantime, consider joining my upcoming lectures about human remains! /end

paul-stewens.com/news/

Java Man will now return as a fossil/cultural object, without any differential treatment on account of being a human ancestor. The fossils are not treated as human remains. This might be interesting for Zambia's struggle to return the Broken Hill skull from UK which they do claim as an ancestor. /6

The Netherlands will return Dubois collection to Indonesia The Netherlands plans to transfer more than 28,000 fossils from the Dubois collection to Indonesia, following a request by Indonesian authorities. Today, Gouke Moes, Minister of Education, Culture and...

The NL gov't also recognises that the fossils "held spiritual and economic value for local people". This puts the Dubois collection in the context of the debate surrounding the debate on colonial loot. Cultural & natural artifacts are two sides of the same coin. /5

www.government.nl/latest/news/...

I'm not aware of any other case where such a significant amount of fossils has been returned. This is an unprecedented, groundbreaking decision - and not only by the standards of natural history; I am not aware of any large-scale restitutions such as this one for art/antiquities, either. /4

Glass cases with a live reconstruction of homo erectus on the Java Man fossils side by side.

The heart of the collection are the skullcap, femur and molar of a Homo erectus ("Java Man") which local workers, directed by Dutch anatomist Eugène #Dubois discovered in the 1890s. I've seen the exhibit @naturalis.bsky.social and it brilliantly integrates the fossils with a live reconstruction. /3

BREAKING: Unconditional restitution by the Netherlands of over 28,000 fossils to Indonesia | RM*[restitution matters] [ most links are in Dutch, some in English ] Today, Dutch Minister Moes (Education, Culture and Science) presented a letter to Indonesian Minister Fadli Zon (Culture) announcing this decision. The so-...

The return is the result of an official request which the Indonesian government submitted in 2022. An independent commission has now recommended the return of the collection in light of the circumstances of their #colonial acquisition. /2

restitutionmatters.org/news-item/br...

This is HUGE. Unconditional #repatriation of 28,000 fossils from the Dubois collection to Indonesia. Largest ever fossil and perhaps natural history #restitution (AFAIK). Famous #hominin fossil included. Lots of things to unpack, here are some preliminary thoughts. /1

Selfie of Paul Stewens in a green suit in front of the UN HQ in Geneva (Switzerland)

I'm going back to #Geneva! As the 2024 Lalive Merryman Fellow, I'll be working on the legal classification of #hominin fossils as #humanremains between 22/09 and 17/10. If you're in GVA during that time and/or curious about my research project, please (re-)connect!

paul-stewens.com/news/fellows...

Update: The post is online!

bsky.app/profile/p-st...

Many people have sent me the CNN piece on trade in 🇲🇦 fossils. It does many things well; picking interviewees is not one of them. No legal experts, only palaeontologists repeating legal factoids. Please read my comment.

🌐CNN: edition.cnn.com/2025/08/15/s...
✒️Blog: paul-stewens.com/blog/2025/mo...

In terms of substance, I take particular issue with the "legal gray area" argument and the allegedly imprecise wording of the 1970 UNESCO Convention. Expect a blog post. [fin]

Wholeheartedly agree with Emma. The piece is a really mixed bag: very comprehensive, topical, and timely, but with a selection of experts that I find partially questionable. Call me crazy, but I do think that a piece about the legality of the fossil trade should include legal experts. [cont'd]

Passionate about #restitution? Curious about what it means for natural history #museums? Then this event is for you! I'll be speaking at the @mnhn.fr on 3 June 2025 about this very issue - and you can join my hybrid lecture from anywhere!

More info: paul-stewens.com/news/lecture...

@alinemghilardi.bsky.social is leading another effort to bring the Irritator challengeri holotype back to Brazil. In support of #IrritatorBelongstoBR, I've written up a bit of background on the case, as well as some of my own thoughts. Make sure to check it out!

paul-stewens.com/blog/2025/ir...

This is a beautiful, concise review of absolutely trailblazing research by the people who got me seriously interested in Law and Palaeontology back in 2021. You’ve done so much, against all odds, for the discipline and for me, and I deeply respect you for it!

Not sure honestly, I don't think these authorities are super active on any social media platform...

True, but a return based on a museum-level agreement would be seen as illegal. As part of a public collection, the fossil (ironically) is 🇩🇪 national cultural property that can only be exported with a license (Sections 6+23 Cultural Property Protection Act).
www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_kgs...

Being the author of said legal analysis, I can confirm that in my opinion, the @smnstuttgart.bsky.social did not acquire good title to the fossil and that it remains the property of Brazil.

@alinemghilardi.bsky.social: Maybe it could make sense to clarify this for the campaign? I think the pressure should be put on those institutions that actually call the shots, and these are the state government (@regierungbw.bsky.social) and, even more so, the science ministry (@mwk-bw.bsky.social).

Crucial point by @skyemcdavid.com: the social media campaign for #IrritatorBelongstoBR should target the gov't of Baden-Württemberg, not the @smnstuttgart.bsky.social (or the 🇩🇪 federal gov't). Remember: for #UbirajaraBelongstoBR, the gov't even overruled the museum, which had refused the return.

Essential thread by @alinemghilardi.bsky.social about #IrritatorBelongstoBR. There was so much support for repatriation when we pushed for it in 2023 - and it’s high time that this is put back on the agenda; the fossil HAS to go back.

Detailed legal background: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Remember the potentially forged #mosasaur jaw? I've turned my thread into a blog post, so if you're interested in the extended version, the director's cut, then here's the link: paul-stewens.com/blog/2025/xe...

Happening today at 1.00 pm (CET), title slide for a teaser!

The Giraffatitan brancai skeleton on display at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin.

Event announcement! Next Wednesday (12 March), I'll tell you why it's not productive to think of natural history and cultural property as two separate worlds. The talk will be online at 1.00 pm (CET), so feel free to join me over lunch!

For all relevant information: paul-stewens.com/news/talk-na...

And if you want to go straight to the article, this is the way: doi.org/10.1017/S094...

#UbirajaraBelongstoBR
#IrritatorBelongstoBR

Big news: I won the 2024 Lalive Merryman Fellowship for my article on the #restitution of Brazilian #fossils from Germany! If you haven't checked it out yet, this is your sign. More information about the award is on my website: paul-stewens.com/news/2024-la...

This is the most unhinged thing I’ve read in a while and it’s not even close

I find it most curious how the exact same people that would mock Greta Thunberg for her #aspergers now defend the fascist salute by a “genius” billionaire because he’s on the spectrum and didn’t know any better