Saturday, August 29, 2015

The FBI takes an interest in ISIS's looted artifacts

IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP: FBI: Don't Accidentally Buy Artifacts Stolen By ISIS (Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan, Gizmodo).
But the FBI isn’t just interested in stopping the outpouring of cultural heritage from countries under the control of ISIS—they’re warning US-based dealers because there are serious criminal penalties involved. Buying a piece, even inadvertently, from ISIS could be prosecuted as aiding a terrorist organization here in the US. And member countries of the UN must, under a new resolution, “take steps to prevent terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria from receiving donations and from benefiting from trade in oil, antiquities, and hostages.”
"“[I]ndustrial-level looting at Syrian and Iraqi archaeological sites.”

Background here and links. And more on Dura Europos and Mari is here and here and links