Main Aims

• Examine the trade in stolen antiquities, who is involved and what is taken
• Investigate the antiquities market
• Analyse the organisations preventing antiquities theft
• Analyse the law surrounding antiquities and its usefulness
• Discuss the importance of tracing provenance and history of antiqutiies
• Explain how antiquities are valued both academically and economically

The theft of Cultural Property is nothing new, the Romans stole from the Greeks, the Brits took from the Celts and ever since the Grand Tour started, enterprising individuals have made off with 'slices of history' from all over the world. Today international thieves take the credit for the looting of these objects and are liable for millions of pounds worth of stolen antiquities.

Methodology

In order to assess the antiquities market, I examined sales catalogues and prices, realised lists to get a feel for trends in the market. This guide can be used to show why antiquities are stolen in such vast quantities and why the market is so lucrative. I have shown who is involved in the antiquities market and their function within the concept of an illicit trade.

Using information from a variety of sources, I described what methods are in place to prevent the illicit trade in antiquities. This includes a full assessment of the current legal options and intended European agreements concerning the trade in antiquities.

I examined current databases / indexes / sources that will provide provenance or historical information for antiquities. A good example is the Getty Information Institute which has a very broard resource listing all of its cultural objects. Organizations such as Interpol have special divisions to deal with cultural property crime and I will discuss the usefulness of these services. I also reported on the 'Illegal Antiquities Research Centre' (IARC) which has been recently established in Cambridge.

'... whether I had suspicions or not... I didn't make a judgement as to who or where they came from...' ¹

(Felicity Nicholson, head of Antiquities for Sotheby's, commenting on the provenance of an antiquity.)

I focused on the provenance and history of antiquities to show how it affected the value, or perceived value, of an object, highlighting the tension between academic and monetary value.

I have shown, through my research, that there is an illicit trade in antiquities which is highlighted by the debate between the academic and commerical value of antiquities. There is a growing interest in this trade and moves are being made to stem the tide of stolen or illicitly excavated antiquities appearing on the market.

NB It is very important to consult the footnotes in this dissertation because they provide clarification of the arguments used in the text.