looting

Arts

Met museum is returning looted ancient art to Cambodia and Thailand

4:20pm December 15, 2023

by Mandalit del Barco

The Metropolitan Museum of Art had been displaying artwork from the Khmer era that was associated with a man indicted in 2019 for the illegal trafficking of antiquities.

A flag drapes across looted shelves in a hardware store during widespread unrest following the death of George Floyd on May 31, 2020 in Philadelphia, Penn.

Books

One Author's Argument 'In Defense Of Looting'

1:30pm August 27, 2020

by Natalie Escobar

In her new book, writer Vicky Osterweil argues that looting is a powerful tool to bring about real, lasting change in society.

Iraqi National Museum Deputy Director Musin Hassan holds his head in his hands as he sits amid destroyed artifacts in the Baghdad museum in 2003.

World News

In Iraq, Authorities Continue To Fight Uphill Battle Against Antiquities Plunder

1:49pm August 20, 2020

by Jane Arraf

Heritage experts say hundreds of thousands of pieces have been looted at archaeological sites and museums. As the illegal trade in antiquities continues, Iraq is trying to get objects returned.

Screenshot of video on Facebook showing an Egyptian sarcophagus with mummy inside for sale. According to the ATHAR Project, the video is from an area known for extensive antiquities looting. Facebook bans trade in antiquities and human remains, but relies

World News

Facebook Has Moved To Ban Sales Of Looted Antiquities. Will It Make A Difference?

2:47pm July 31, 2020

by Jane Arraf

Archaeologists have ID'ed 100-plus Facebook groups offering looted and illicit antiquities for sale. New rules ban the sale of "historical artifacts" on Facebook but critics want more enforcement.

Police stand guard during a government order for residents to stay home, to help contain the spread of the new coronavirus, as a resident walks to a food store in Soacha on the outskirts of Bogotá, Colombia, on March 25.

World News

Colombia Sees Bouts Of Looting As Coronavirus Fallout Puts People Out Of Work

3:59pm July 17, 2020

by John Otis

The most dramatic case occurred earlier this month when a scramble to steal gasoline ended in a hellish fireball. Other recent incidents involved residents pilfering a humanitarian aid vehicle.

Queue Listen Now

Assyrian artifacts are displayed at Iraq's National Museum in Baghdad in 2016. The $30 million sale of a 3,000-year-old Assyrian relief is sparking concern that similar artifacts will be looted.

World News

Record-Setting Sale Of An Ancient Assyrian Stone Relief Sparks Looting Fears In Iraq

7:48am November 04, 2018

by Jane Arraf

The 3,000-year-old relief fetched more than $28 million at Christie's, more than any other similar work. But some archaeologists worry the high price could trigger looting of other ancient artifacts.

A clay tablet from the seized Hobby Lobby collection bears a cuneiform inscription referring to the disbursement of leather bags to hold water, known as water skins. The inscription is dated with the name of a month used exclusively in Irasagrig, a lost a

Hobby Lobby's Illegal Antiquities Shed Light On A Lost, Looted Ancient City In Iraq

11:22am June 28, 2018

by Jane Arraf

About 3,800 objects purchased by Hobby Lobby were returned to Iraq in May. Some come from an ancient Sumerian city, Irisagrig, and indicate that life there was "pretty good," an archaeologist says.

Queue Listen Now

Former fighters and refugees wait in Bambari for the arrival of a delegation from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.

Health & Safety

9 Aid Group Compounds Looted In Central African Republic

3:06pm June 06, 2018

by Cassandra Vinograd

The attacks took place over two weeks in May in the city of Bambari. Some groups, including Doctors Without Borders, have pulled out some staffers and cut back on their services.

Hobby Lobby agreed earlier this month to a forfeiture of smuggled artifacts.

Israeli Authorities Arrest Antiquities Dealers In Connection With Hobby Lobby Scandal

5:04pm July 31, 2017

by Daniel Estrin

Israel's Antiquities Authority says the dealers, arrested early Sunday morning, were involved in sales of antiquities to Hobby Lobby — including items that U.S. authorities determined were smuggled.

Satellite imagery of Machu Pichu in Peru, taken in June 2016.

Space Archaeologist Wants Citizen Scientists To Identify Archaeological Looting

3:55pm January 31, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Sarah Parcak used $1 million in TED Prize money to launch a program called GlobalXplorer that allows anyone online to analyze satellite images of archaeological sites for evidence.