International Trade in Looted Antiquities

So who cares? Well, on the bottom end of the market, the arrowhead collector might get mad or the person who bought that " Pre Columbian Nayarit Blackware Couple, 300 AD, Adorable and Rare" off Amazon.com might console himself with the fact that the accompanying free quartz crystal cluster is probably genuine or switch over to a competitor or even, upon due reflection, turn to one of the many companies that sell quality reproductions at reasonable prices. But the person who spent over $300,000 on a Huari figurine in a well-known post-Columbian style might well be a bit more annoyed. Especially if this person were to, as so many collectors do, attempt to buy prestige by donating his prize to a local museum and taking a tax write-off. The difference in value between an ancient artifact and a modern one is considerable and the IRS can be interested.

The on-line sales of antiquities is a very complex situation and involves a great many different important issues. At this point, is there anything we as archaeologists can do to try to stem the e-commerce in humanities’ heritage? Maybe.

Proposals such as a strong anti-dealing statement in our ethics statement are not going to be of much immediate benefit. The main value of such statements is in the legal area, especially if the SAA decides to become proactive and enter into cases as an amicus curie. They should also stand in good stead in discussing with our colleagues the reasons why it is unwise to hang around with dealers and collectors, seek funds from dealers and collectors, or base their research on unprovenienced antiquities. These things need to be discussed openly and, I believe, publicly in forums such as the SAA Bulletin. Many of our colleagues still do not get it; especially those doing epigraphic and iconographic studies. A stepped up awareness program among archaeologists and in related fields, coupled with strong and clear statements of ethics in this regard would be a good first step.

However, this is not going to stop e-commerce in antiquities. As long as there is a demand looting and dealing will continue. Virtually all of us teach an introductory class of some sort. More often than not these classes form part of some sort of general education or breadth requirements. This introductory class is probably the only formal exposure most of our students will ever have to archaeology. We need to present forcefully in these classes the idea that the past is not disparate things, things which are owned by individuals, that it is those things in their cultural context which permits an understanding of the past. We need to present graphically the destruction that looting causes, the racist attitudes involved in dealing and collecting, and the corruption of virtually everyone this activity leads to. We need to talk openly about fakery and its horrifying prevalence in museum and private collections. In the long run it is only an informed public that will make the antiquities market unprofitable and hence nonviable.

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