Statement Follows Reports of Looting at Gettysburg National Military Park

WASHINGTON, DC, January 22, 2018 — As the United States government shutdown enters its third day, not only is America’s future at stake, its past is, too.

Archaeological watchdogs are warning that Gettysburg National Military Park is already under attack from looters armed with metal detectors, seeking to capitalize on the federal closure, which has furloughed 90 percent of the site’s employees. If true, these reports will confirm online chatter in metal detector forums, where posters last week were eagerly anticipating a shutdown, in order to pillage historical artifacts from national battlefields, monuments, and parks. Civil War relics from bullets, to buttons, to rifle parts can fetch high prices on internet auction sites—bought by unsuspecting buyers who may not know their source is often a graveyard or battleground.

Gettysburg — where approximately 15,000 Americans lost their lives— is not only a memorial to our nation’s dead but also an irreplaceable part of our national heritage. Since 1893, the Federal government has sought to preserve it for future generations, although despite these best efforts, the site has frequently fallen victim to treasure hunters over the years. Sadly, the continuing threat faced by Gettysburg and other Civil War battlefields is shared by ancient and historic sites the world over, as thieves seek to feed the growing international market for ancient art and artifacts.

We call upon the local, state, and federal governments — as well as civic minded citizens — to protect these sites and make sure America’s history is not being sold to the highest bidder.

WASHINGTON, DC, January 09, 2018 — The Antiquities Coalition commends Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. for the January 5 seizure of a number of Classical masterpieces from the private collection of hedge fund billionaire Michael H. Steinhardt. Search warrants allege the antiquities are the stolen property of Greece and Italy. We applaud the ongoing efforts by Mr. Vance and his team to clean up the New York art market, one of the largest unregulated markets in the world, by sending a strong signal that collectors, auction houses, and museums will be held accountable for engaging in the illicit trade.

Mr. Steinhardt is a long-time collector of ancient antiquities, who has previously—and repeatedly—faced scandals and litigation for the buying and selling of looted artworks. The pieces seized last Friday include a fifth century B.C. Greek lekythos, an oil vessel, valued at $380,000; seventh century B.C. Proto-Corinthian figures of an owl and duck valued at $250,000; an Apulian terra-cota flask in the shape of an African head; a fifth century attic aryballow (a vessel for oil or perfume); and an Ionian sculpture of a ram’s head from the six century. The search warrants estimated their overall value at approximately $1.1 million.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office recently launched a counter antiquities trafficking unit, a groundbreaking and welcome step, since the Federal Bureau of Investigations has warned it has “credible evidence” that Daesh (ISIS) looted antiquities are reaching the U.S. market. The new unit is headed by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, a Marine Colonel, who led the U.S. government’s efforts to recover priceless antiquities stolen from the Iraqi National Museum in 2003. We hope that other major markets in the United States will follow New York’s leadership by setting up similar task forces to tackle cultural racketeering, given its documented links to terrorism, transnational organized crime, and money laundering.

About the Antiquities Coalition 

The Antiquities Coalition unites a diverse group of experts in the fight against cultural racketeering: the illicit trade in antiquities by organized criminals and terrorist organizations. This plunder for profit funds crime and conflict around the world—erasing our past and threatening our future. The Coalition’s innovative and practical solutions tackle crimes against heritage head on, empowering communities and countries in crisis. Learn more at theantiquitiescoalition.org.

Contact
press@theantiquitiescoalition.org
202.798.5245 (T)