http://museum-security.org/

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THE PRICE OF AGE

Dissertation about the trade in stolen antiquities by Andrew Cranwell
now on line at the Museum Security Website:
http://museum-security.org/cranwell


Abstract
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...'
(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.

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do read the complete text at:

http://museum-security.org/cranwell


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