The British Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles, Cambridge

A look at what happened to the sculptures from early Christian times to the 21st century, and the damage to those remaining after Lord Elgin bought the majority of them

The publication is interpreted by William St Clair to be the result of efforts to protect the institution's reputation

Replicas are not necessarily second-rate Disneyfications, says conservator John Larson

Twenty years after the government decided to build a new museum to house the sculptures, still no architect has been chosen

Restitution guidelines in the UK are changing with the times, but the marbles remain with the British Museum for now

At a major conference held on 30 November and 1 December 1999, British Museum, Greek and international scholars discussed the nature of any damage to the Marbles in the hushed-up cleaning of the 1930s. Mary Beard puts the discussions in context and tells how, ever since their acquisition in 1816 by Lord Elgin, the Marbles have aroused fierce debate. Why?

The restitution question was hardly mentioned, but it tautened everyone’s nerves

After the sculptures' surfaces were damaged in the 1930s due to improper care, the museum has cleaned up its act

St Clair demands greater candour in the fallout of Lord Elgin and the Marbles' third edition, in which it was asserted that over-cleaning had irreparably damaged the marbles

Greeks renew demands for return of sculptures following new allegations that they were irreparably damaged in the Thirties