Response to “Saint Louis Art Museum – Ka Nefer Nefer mask – U.S. demands art museum hand over Egyptian artifact" Reuters, by Rose on Mar 18, 2011:
”I am thrilled this mask is in St Louis. As a history buff and female with a very unusual MtDNA Subgroup from Egypt, I would like to enquire the Library do DNA testing of the artifact. A MtDna test would be most beneficial with the advent of ancient lineages of which I belong.Well, as history "buff" and a male with DNA too (which I am sure comes from a "lineage" just as ancient as Rose's), I am not in favour of any "library" doing any DNA work on a stolen artefact. This illustrates rather well the problems with this antiquity collecting issue. Many people do not see it in terms of what is right or wrong, but purely from the point of view of what they personally want. Rose is convinced she's the descendant of some ancient Egyptian "lineage" (and obviously concerned to let all and sundry hear about it). Therefore the only thing she thinks worth commenting on is that the SLAM should do a DNA analysis of this object for her own personal benefit. The whole problem is reduced to selfishness and self-interest. Rose comes over here as a selfish idiot. Most of the DNA on that mask will be from the restorer who sneezed on it as he wiped off the ownership inscription, and a prospective buyer who spluttered the Aboutaams' proffered champagne when told by the dealer how much they wanted for it.
I am always a bit suspicious of all these internet DNA-buffs, in my experience whenever you start to try and follow a discussion by looking something up on the internet, you always end up on a Neo-Nazi /White Supremacist website. Then you find that some of THEM also collect antiquities ...