Why There is Still an Illicit Trade in Cultural Objects and What We Can Do About It

Brodie, Neil; Kersel, Morag M.; Mackenzie, Simon; Sabrine, Isber; Smith, Emiline; Yates, Donna

doi:10.1080/00934690.2021.1996979

Cited by 29 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Considering the statement attributed to International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art chairperson Vincent Geerling at the start of this section, we agree that the employment of this and other factoids seriously undermines the idea that policy and policing related to the illicit trade in antiquities is being made based on real data (see Brodie et al 2022). Indeed, the prevalence of unsubstantiated claims in this area gives the trade something to legitimately criticize, and by doing so opens the door for real data, accurate information, and discussion of harms to be dismissed as further "bad data".…”

Section: (Journal Of Field Archaeology 1974)mentioning

confidence: 90%

The Illicit Trade in Antiquities is not the World’s Third Largest Illicit Trade: A Critical Evaluation of a Factoid

Yates¹,

Brodie²

2022

Preprint

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THIS PAPER HAS BEEN ACCEPTED TO ANTIQUITY FOR PUBLICATION IN 2023. PLEASE CITE IT AS "IN PRESS". This paper represents a “stratigraphic excavation” of the assertion that the illicit trade in antiquities is the 3rd largest, second only to arms and narcotics. Through queries into academic, popular media, and policy literature, we document the layers of use and reuse of this factoid, presenting a narrative of its evolution over the past five decades. We find that the assertion is not based on any research ever conducted, any statistics ever collected, and originates with no competent authorities. We conclude that the uncritical repetition of false “facts” undermines legitimate efforts to prevent looting, trafficking, and illicit sale of antiquities.

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Section: (Journal Of Field Archaeology 1974)mentioning

confidence: 90%

The Illicit Trade in Antiquities is not the World’s Third Largest Illicit Trade: A Critical Evaluation of a Factoid

Yates¹,

Brodie²

2022

Preprint

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“…Even if objects were obtained in a manner that was deemed ethical, object care is an essential part of continued ethical management of collections, requiring monitoring and updates on cultural objects' status [17]. Systematic looting and growth of the cultural object market means that legal, although potentially unethical, and illegal sales of objects, often in the context of conflict, puts additional reasons to monitor and vet museums and other collections [5,[18][19][20]. Cultural property obtained, particularly in the context of conflict, could also fund violence and other socially damaging activities beyond the destruction of heritage [21].…”

Section: Need For Object Trackingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salsal: blockchain for vetting cultural object collections

Khelifi,

Altaweel,

Hashir

et al. 2024

Herit Sci

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Many modern cultural object collections suffer from the problem of being obtained in unethical and illegal circumstances. Additionally, information about collections, including their status, object descriptions, and other data need up-to-date information presented to users. We propose a novel blockchain tool called Salsal that enables the vetting of objects, individually or as part of more extensive collections, to meet required ethical and legal guidelines while informing users about relevant information regarding collections. Blockchain provides a better and more rapid way for users to know about collections using a decentralized and immutable ledger technology. Blockchain can be used to incentivize or even pressure collections to vet their objects for ethical and legal guidelines that can benefit the public who use object collections. The prototype software we have made is presented and compared to other blockchains, with code and demonstration provided. We present how our blockchain can enable benefit, providing a useful vetting process for cultural objects, and allowing a user community to contribute to collections in a transparent and secure manner.

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“…For some, the possibility of economical profits from the finds can fuel the search. Illegal trade and uncontrolled excavations have been considered a minor problem in Finland (Immonen & Kinnunen, 2020 , p. 327; Wessman et al, 2016 , p. 87), though they are a big problem on a global scale, regions like the Middle-East, South America and, also many places in Europe (e.g., Brodie et al, 2006 , 2022 ; Gill, 2020 ; Hardy, 2016 ; Interpol, 2020 ; see also Modarress-Sadeghi, 2017 ). 13 Different countries have different solutions, rules and practices to deal with this question (see e.g., Barkin 2013 ; Modarress & Hakamäki, 2019 ; Open Archaeology, 2016 ; Ulst, 2013 ).…”

Section: Metal Detecting a Way To Participate In The Heritage Process...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Excavating the Missing Iron Age: Reinforcing Local Heritage & Identity in Sievi, Finland

Julin

2023

Arch

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In the small county in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland, on a forest island amid fields, a few metal objects were found by metal detectorists. The finds suggested Iron Age dates and generated great interest, for both local people and researchers. As a result, an examination of the find locations was conducted by archaeologists, which was followed by excavations at one of the sites. In this article, under scrutiny is the interest excavations formulate in local contexts and how people relate to archaeological sites of their neighborhood. In addition, the role of metal-detecting in archaeology is considered. Generally, people in Finland are interested in the past of their home region. What about if there are only imperceptible remains and minor finds like fragments of ancient objects or shards of burned bone? Is material heritage important in everyday settings, and are people attracted to it? Here the aim is to relate some answers to these questions obtained by observations and discussions with the local people during the field research process.

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Why There is Still an Illicit Trade in Cultural Objects and What We Can Do About It

Cited by 29 publications

References 39 publications

The Illicit Trade in Antiquities is not the World’s Third Largest Illicit Trade: A Critical Evaluation of a Factoid

The Illicit Trade in Antiquities is not the World’s Third Largest Illicit Trade: A Critical Evaluation of a Factoid

Salsal: blockchain for vetting cultural object collections

Excavating the Missing Iron Age: Reinforcing Local Heritage & Identity in Sievi, Finland

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