How can we end antiquities trafficking?

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the theft and trafficking of antiquities and historical manuscripts.

Many feel as if the COVID-19 pandemic is stealing their present and jeopardising their future. But this unprecedented global public health emergency is also precipitating the destruction of our past, one piece at a time. Indeed, the pandemic has exacerbated the theft and trafficking of antiquities and historical manuscripts, eroding our collective memory and ability to share it with future generations. Although the theft of antiquities has been a problem since antiquity itself, its pace has increased during the pandemic, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa – areas rich in heritage sites. As many societies remain in a forced standstill because of the pandemic, looters and smugglers are reducing ancient sites to rubble. The illegal digging for antiquities in Egypt alone more than doubled in 2020. It is difficult to estimate the exact size and monetary value of the illicit antiquities market. According to Roger Atwood’s 2020 book Stealing History, it could be worth anywhere between $300m to $6bn a year. UNESCO reports that the illicit trade in cultural goods – of which antiquities trafficking is a part – is worth $10bn a year. A portion of these profits is known to be used to finance conflicts and global terrorism.