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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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!

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!

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...

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

Since a few people saw the fishy-mosasaurus thread, please also check the correction I added. TL;DR: The specimen is probably in Marrakech, not in Paris, but most ethical and legal issues remain regardless.

ICYMI: There’s trouble with a trafficked fossil again; this time, it’s a mosasaur from Morocco. Read about the legal and ethical issues down below! #FossilFriday

How do you find a stolen piece of art? On Thursday 5pm CET/11am EST we explore the world of thieves, forgers and fraudsters with @sauterne.bsky.social, CEO of The Association for Research into Crimes against Art in the first Stage Talk of 2025. Join us: discord.gg/r88a4zcX?eve...

Another day, another case of questionable practices in #palaeontology. In the news today: Xenodens calminechari, a mosasaurid with "unique" dentition that was described from Moroccan #fossil material in 2021. Let's talk fossil trafficking, forgery, and accessibility of specimens, shall we? Thread /1

Today's the big day: I'm officially starting as a #PhD candidate at @lawinmaastricht.bsky.social ! I can't wait to get started, and look forward to everything I'll be doing, thinking, and experiencing over the next four years. My hobby's now my job, and I couldn't be more grateful. Happy New Year!

All I want for Christmas is a bookmark functionality on Bluesky

So I'm aware that there's already an excellent #StarterPack on Cultural Heritage Law but maybe it'd be cool to have one dedicated only to art and cultural heritage crime with a wider disciplinary range: go.bsky.app/UtWmSRM This is work-in-progress, and I'm grateful to anyone who helps me grow it!

We’ve had plenty of it on Twitter back in the day, but here’s some beautiful #UbirajaraBelongstoBR for your Bluesky feed!

I’ve been asking myself that question at every single academic conference I’ve been to…decent public speaking skills among academics are far rarer than they should be. #AcademicChatter From: A. C. Doyle (1912), The Lost World - Wordsworth Classics edition (2010), p. 33

Joining the #introduction round here on #academicsky: I'm Paul, a soon-to-be #PhD researcher in #law at Maastricht University. My field is Law and Palaeontology, or all legal questions concerning fossils: excavation, trafficking, restitution, you name it. #dinosaurlaw @phdvoice.bsky.social