Criminology and Archaeology: Studies in Looted Antiquities

The looting of antiquities happens routinely and many countries have rich deposits of cultural material. The list of source countries is long, but the most high profile cases of looting have been in Egypt, Italy, Peru, Mexico, Greece, Turkey, and China. Antiquities are highly collectable, and there are several prominent international centers for trade - most notably London, New York, Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong, Geneva, and Bangkok - but the market operates across national borders. It is within the complex international and local regulatory context that the essays presented here emerge, focusing upon three areas in particular: the demand for looted antiquities, the supply of cultural artifacts which originate in source countries, and regulation of the international market in antiquities. Criminology has long been interested in transnational crime and its regulation, while archaeology has been interested in the pedagogical consequences of antiquities looting. In these essays, both disciplines present new data and analysis to forge a more coherent understanding of the nature and failings of the regulatory framework currently in place to combat the criminal market in antiquities. The book examines the state of regulation in the antiquities market, with a particular focus on the UK's position, but also with reference to the international context more generally. It is an invaluable guide which gives advice on combating the trade in illicit antiquities and will be of interest to criminologists, policy makers, and regulators. (Series: Onati International Series in Law and Society)