The Antiquities Trafficking and Heritage Anthropology Research Project (ATHAR) consists of a group of experts that conduct research on the looting and trafficking of antiquities.
The
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring ( ar, الربيع العربي) was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in T ...
and the ensuing wars created opportunities for traffickers in the Middle East to loot archeological sites with impunity. Social media allowed anyone with a smart phone to sell the looted antiquities. Much of the trade takes place on Facebook.
References
{{reflist
External linksATHAR Project
Cultural organizations based in the United States
Archaeological theft