The Elgin marbles are sculptures that were taken from the Parthenon in Athens. The British Museum is an interesting museum to start with because it doesn't have very many objects from Britain. It's a comment on the British past, both military and colonial and exploratory. I would have the suspicion that if objects that currently there were repatriated to where they once came from, there wouldn't be much there.
Should the British Museum return the Elgin Marbles, taken from the Parthenon in Athens about 200 years ago? What should be the purpose of museums, education or social justice? Listen as Tiffany Jenkins, author of Keeping Their Marbles, discusses these questions and more with EconTalk host Russ Roberts.