Illicit Antiquities: The Theft Of Culture And The Extinction Of Archaeology (one World Archaeology)

The exploitation of archaeological sites for commercial gain is a serious problem worldwide. This volume highlights the negative effects of the trade on cultural heritage, but in particular it focuses upon question of legal and local responses. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of illustrations......Page 8 List of contributors......Page 10 Series editors' foreword......Page 11 Preface and acknowledgements......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 Greek vases for sale: some statistical evidence......Page 36 Walking a fine line: promoting the past without selling it......Page 51 The concept of cultural protection in times of armed conflict: from the crusades to the new millennium......Page 56 Law and the underwater cultural heritage: a question of balancing interests......Page 122 Negotiating the future of the underwater cultural heritage......Page 150 Perceptions of marine artefact conservation and their relationship to destruction and theft......Page 175 Metal detecting in Britain: catastrophe or compromise?......Page 192 Britannia waives the rules? The licensing of archaeological material for export from the UK......Page 198 Mexico's archaeological heritage: a convergence and confrontation of interests......Page 218 What's going on around the corner? Illegal trade of art and antiquities in Argentina......Page 241 Looting graves/buying and selling artefacts: facing reality in the US......Page 248 Reducing incentives for illicit trade in antiquities: the US implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention......Page 254 The rape of Mali's only resource......Page 263 Dealing with the dealers and tomb robbers: the realities of the archaeology of the Ghor es-Safi in Jordan......Page 270 Plunder of cultural and art treasures the Indian experience......Page 281 Point, counterpoint......Page 293 Index......Page 314 Humanities Book Cover 1 Title 4 Contents 5 List of illustrations 8 List of contributors 10 Series editors' foreword 11 Preface and acknowledgements 12 Introduction 14 Greek vases for sale: some statistical evidence 36 Walking a fine line: promoting the past without selling it 51 The concept of cultural protection in times of armed conflict: from the crusades to the new millennium 56 Law and the underwater cultural heritage: a question of balancing interests 122 Negotiating the future of the underwater cultural heritage 150 Perceptions of marine artefact conservation and their relationship to destruction and theft 175 Metal detecting in Britain: catastrophe or compromise? 192 Britannia waives the rules? The licensing of archaeological material for export from the UK 198 Mexico's archaeological heritage: a convergence and confrontation of interests 218 What's going on around the corner? Illegal trade of art and antiquities in Argentina 241 Looting graves/buying and selling artefacts: facing reality in the US 248 Reducing incentives for illicit trade in antiquities: the US implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention 254 The rape of Mali's only resource 263 Dealing with the dealers and tomb robbers: the realities of the archaeology of the Ghor es-Safi in Jordan 270 Plunder of cultural and art treasures the Indian experience 281 Point, counterpoint 293 Index 314

The exploitation of archaeological sites for commercial gain is a serious problem worldwide. In peace and during wartime archaeological sites and cultural institutions, both on land and underwater, are attacked and their contents robbed for sale on an international 'antiquities' market. Objects are excavated without record, smuggled across borders and sold for exorbitant prices in the salesrooms of Europe and North America. In some countries this looting has now reached such a scale as to threaten the very survival of their archaeological and cultural heritage.
This volume highlights the deleterious effects of the trade on cultural heritage, but in particular it focuses upon questions of legal and local responses: How can people become involved in the preservation of their past and what, in economic terms, are the costs and benefits? Are international conventions or export restrictions effective in diminishing the volume of the trade and the scale of its associated destruction?

This volume highlights the deleterious effects of the trade in cultural heritage, but in particular it focuses upon questions of legal and local responses to the exploitation of archaeological sites for commercial gain. In 1993, the market for Greek vases reached a new peak when a Caeretan hydria from the Hirschmann collection was sold 2.2 million at Sotheby's in London (9.12.1993, lot 35).