Raiders of the Lost Ark: Looting and Trafficking of Antiquities in the 21st Century

The global market for illicitly trafficked antiquities is worth an estimated $300 million to $10 billion annually. The looting, theft and trafficking of antiquities occur in war and peace, on land and at sea, locally and globally. This trade robs people of their heritage and destroys precious archeological sites and irreplaceable records of our collective past while supporting organized crime and even terrorists.

This presentation will discuss the local and global dynamics of antiquities crime, its connections with war and terrorism and what we as individuals can do to help combat it.

Chris Jasparro, Ph.D., is a geographer and archeologist specializing in cultural property protection, transnational crime, and environmental security.  He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Naval War College faculty member and former Naval officer.