Filed In:
Artifact Looting, Theft and Smuggling
Laws protecting the cultural heritage of the world are being broken every day by smugglers who deliver ancient artifacts to private collectors. The lust for the possession of ancient objects increases the profits for looting archaeological sites; and thus our collective heritage is being destroyed.
International Trade in Looted Antiquities
Karen Olsen Bruhns is an archaeologist and part time US customs officer, assisting with the retrieval of stolen international artifacts and the identification of looters. www.plunderedpast.com is a commentary from her on the prevalence of pot-hunting.
Bahrani on the Artifact Looting in Iraq
A quote from Zainab Bahrani's 2004 article in Natural History on artifact looting from the Iraq Museum called "Lawless in Mesopotamia."
Black Earth, Black Archaeology, Black Times
An article in TOL reports on looting from archaeological sites in Ukraine, which has become widespread in the country.
Context is Everything: Antique Roadshow Ethics
In 2000, the American version of Antiques Roadshow committed a serious faux pas by archaeological lights when it featured artifacts looted from an archaeological site.
Karen Olsen Bruhns, Customs Agent
The following article is from Karen Olsen Bruhns, full time academic archaeologist at San Francisco State University and part time United States customs agent, working to retrieve looted artifacts and stop smugglers.
Looting
Artifact looting is one of the scourges of archaeology today; and it's not likely to go away soon.
Lost Treasures from Iraq
In the days and weeks following the conquest of Baghdad by the United States, the Iraqi Museum was looted of many of the treasures belonging to the heritage of the peoples of Iraq. This site from the Oriental Institute provides information on over 1000 missing artifacts, including images of the looted sites.
Return of a Golden Treasure
A piece of Moche art looted from an archaeological site in Peru was returned to its rightful owners, with a healthy assistance from the University of Pennsylvania Museum.
The Looting Question
Hugh Jarvis's comprehensive bibliography of information about looting and artifact smuggling.
The Modern Sack of Nineveh
Archaeology looting of Iraq's treasures is not new, as is attested in this 1996 article from Archaeology magazine.
The Spoils of War
In a ghastly reliving of the old days, only this time in front of television cameras and live satellite feeds, the wholesale looting of the National Museum of Iraq took place over this past weekend. Unlike Schliemann's collection, it is unknown if the priceless cultural heritage of Iraq will ever see the light of day again.
www.plunderedpast.com
From guest writer Karen Olsen-Bruhns, a commentary on the burgeoning electronic antiquities market.