Transnational Crimes Against Culture: Looting at Archaeological Sites and the "Grey" Market in Antiquities

• NCJ Number: 223735
• Journal: Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 24 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2008 Pages: 225-242
• Author(s): Blythe A. Bowman
• Date Published: August 2008
• Length: 18 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses the dynamics of criminal trafficking in looted antiquities, with a focus on the theft of antiquities from archaeological sites and their illicit export.

Abstract

Although antiquities smuggling is similar to other forms of illicit trafficking, it is distinguished by the fact that trading in antiquities is legal, even though the items being marketed have been illegally looted from source sites. This article focuses on the illegal acquisition of antiquities through unauthorized excavations and selling of items secured in these excavations on the international market via trafficking from the source country. There is a substantial body of research that shows the dramatic scale of this crime through archaeological field surveys, photographic testimony, archival and literature resources, investigations of market trends, and informant interviews. The looting has grown to crisis dimensions because archaeologists are significantly outpaced compared to looters in terms of crew size and amount of access to archaeological resources. Further, numerous reports have appeared in recent years that document the connection between antiquities trafficking and other transnational crimes. There is substantial evidence that organized criminal groups are not only smuggling illicit drugs and arms, but are also dealing in looted antiquities. Beyond moving antiquities transnationally, organized criminal networks can use the legal end of the antiquities trade as a means of money laundering. Future criminological attention should focus on the source of the looting problem. Illicit digging is what causes the most devastating destruction of archaeological resources. A more reliable assessment of the scope and frequency of looting on a global scale is needed. Other areas needing research are how looting networks form, collaborate, and bond; and how the wealthy nations fuel the looting of antiquities in poorer countries by providing a lucrative legal market demand. 1 figure, 17 notes and 99 references