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I read a little bit about a book, The Medici Conspiracy, which discusses the state of archaeological looting[/url] and museum purchases of artifacts that are taken from these sites. An interesting part of article is where the author mentions how when ancient vases are found they are sometimes broken on purpose for the purpose of export and/or sale:
Often if they are fragments of a very important vase, when the vase is put together, several pieces are held back. The buyer is then shown a Polaroid photo of a missing piece. There are several known cases of this. The owner of the vase would pay anything to get the missing fragment and complete the vase.
http://www.paramuspost.com/article.php/20070525234102414I wasn't totally clear if this was done because it raises the market value of the missing fragment (and therefore the overall vase), or because it becomes easier to export something which is in smaller pieces. I'm thinking the former. I agree with the author and appreciate what she's done to help stop museums from buying pieces off looters. Archaeological thieves are really detrimental to the study of history and to the cultural heritage of nations. I'm glad to read in the article that the sale of plundered artifacts seems like it has decreased in recent years.
I wasn't totally clear if this was done because it raises the market value of the missing fragment (and therefore the overall vase), or because it becomes easier to extort something which is in smaller pieces.
Perhaps that's what you meant?? :-
Following up on this I just read an interesting article about how this kind of looting is decreasing in Italy:Crackdown curbs Italy's 'tomb raiders'The story features an ex-tomb raider who would work in daylight in search of artifacts before the police began to really clamp down on such activities. Interesting how he knows where to look:
"When I dig I often know beforehand what I will find, because I have learned to read the land," he said. "For example if you see brambles growing tall and yellowish you know the roots are leaning on buried walls."
There are probably areas of the Northeast U.S. that have hidden archaeological treasures waiting to be found, but obviously the thousands of years head start in Europe makes that continent much more lucrative.
allowed him to dig into ancient Roman villas and unearth statues, pottery and other artifacts which he then sold for millions of dollars on the illegal antiquities market.
So this guy digs in sites with lax surveillance, yet can sell the artifacts for millions, seemingly with no questions asked.I don't understand how it's possible to get away with this. Don't you think the buyer would require authentication records (where found, who found it, etc) and intensive traceability for something this valuable? How could it not be known that something was looted? (especially if the buyer was someone like the Boston MoFA).
I think what you're saying more or less exactly what is being argued now by those who sue or threaten to sue museums. The article mentioned how a few of the people at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Cali are being sued right now. The “see no evil” defense may have worked in the past but now we're in a due diligence society.
