▁legal ▁preced ents ▁for ▁the ▁trade ▁still ▁res emb les ▁that ▁established ▁during ▁the ▁British ▁Mand ate ▁period . ▁ ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁Law ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁could ▁be ▁considered ▁the ▁first ▁instance ▁that ▁arch ae ological ▁material ▁from ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁de emed ▁important ▁enough ▁to ▁pass ▁legisl ation ▁to ▁ensure ▁its ▁safe ▁keeping . ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁Law ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁increase ▁of ▁foreign ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁and ▁the ▁lo oting ▁of ▁arch ae ological ▁material ▁from ▁the ▁Empire . ▁Its ▁main ▁purpose ▁was ▁for ▁reg ulating ▁the ▁tra ff ick ing ▁of ▁anti qu ities . ▁▁ <0x09> ▁The ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁Law ▁established ▁national ▁ownership ▁over ▁all ▁artifact s ▁in ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁and ▁sought ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁scientific ▁access ▁to ▁anti qu ities ▁and ▁sites . ▁Under ▁this ▁law , ▁all ▁artifact s ▁discovered ▁during ▁exc av ation ▁were ▁the ▁property ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Museum ▁in ▁Constantin ople ▁and ▁were ▁sent ▁there . ▁While ▁the ▁law ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁step ▁towards ▁reg ulation , ▁it ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁imperial ism ▁since ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ' s ▁desired ▁to ▁gain ▁material ▁from ▁its ▁territ ories ▁rather ▁than ▁for ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁legacy . ▁By ▁cont rolling ▁arch ae ological ▁goods ▁and ▁tax ing ▁the ▁anti qu ities , ▁the ▁government ▁effectively ▁reg ulated ▁European ▁access ▁to ▁her itage . ▁ ▁While ▁most