It’s a sunny, late summer day in northern Mongolia’s Darkhad Basin – a large glacial lake basin nestled against the country’s Russian border. To the south stretch the grasslands of the Eastern Eurasian Steppe; to the north, the Siberian boreal forest. We stand – almost precisely – at the place they meet, at the forest’s…
Planning to buy an ancient coin on eBay? Perhaps it would be wise to reconsider. Up to 80 percent of the antiquities for sale online are likely looted or fake, according to new research. By Julia Halperin, November 1, 2017 from artnet. The Wall Street Journal has conducted a thorough investigation into the surge in…
Two brothers from Cordoba are facing prison sentences and a fine of ten million euros for hiding two Roman bronze statues of the first century in a farm in Pedro Abad, a small town located in the Spanish province of Córdoba. The case was uncovered by the Judicial Police of Jaén in January 2012. Agents…
Howard Swains Howard Swains for the Guardian, October 22, 2017. Ancient Greek vases identified as having once been in possession of convicted dealer Gianfranco Becchina. In January 2015, the art squad of the Italian carabinieri hosted a press conference in Rome at which they proudly displayed more than 5,000 illicit antiquities, with an estimated value…
Four antiquities collectors in Grosseto stand accused of illicit detention and possession of property belonging to the state after officers from Italy’s Guardia di Finanza seized more than 200 undocumented ancient objects uncovered during asset controls in the garden of a villa. The search and seizure warrant was issued by the Public Prosecutor of Rome. Some…
Illicit trade in cultural artefacts destroys historical knowledge and finances terrorism. “Professionals have to say no to authenticating cultural artefacts of questionable or dubious ownership history,” says researcher Josephine Munch Rasmussen. “Here is the artefact.” Håkon Roland from the Museum of Cultural History carefully presents a sword that is several thousand years old. It is…
The ARCA blog obtained the permission of London journalist Howard Swains to republish his Medium article, London’s Loot: The Legacy of Robin Symes, in its entirety. Swains is a journalist and feature writer with experience across print and digital titles, including The Times, the Guardian, Independent, Newsweek, the Sunday Times Magazine and CNN. The article discusses in detail…
The archeological site of Jalžabet has been ruined these days. From the archaeological site of Jalžabet, Croatia, in the district of Bistričak, one of the largest prehistoric tombs in Europe is known. The excavations on site were supposed to start soon, but thieves robbed and damaged the site right before. Dr. Saša Kovačević from the…
In December 2010, Swiss Federal Customs Administration authorities, acting under new customs legislation to combat trafficking in works of art, requested access to the inventory of Phoenix Ancient Art SA., a major supplier of museum-quality antiquities, which stores ancient works of art at the Ports Francs et Entrepôts de Genève, a freeport located in a…
Organised by Professor Duncan Chappell, Dr Saskia Hufnagel, and Ms Marissa Marjos, this is the third of three Art Crime focused workshops, the first two of which were in London. This workshop specifically focuses on the looting, plunder, and destruction of heritage. I’ll be giving a regional case study: trafficking of antiquities in and out…
EAA-Community on the Illicit Trade in Cultural Material 