Recently IADAA received a list of stolen objects from the excavation of Tell el Dab’a / Egypt, which you will find published here.
In the night of January 28/29, 2011 raiders gained access to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Here you will find an illustrated list of items stolen from the Cairo Museum.
The members of the International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art (IADAA) are deeply concerned at seeing pictures of the looted rooms in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. We are dismayed at the damage looting will cause at remote excavations and museums. Such criminal activity is not only a catastrophe for scholarship but an attack on an important part of the world’s cultural heritage. Raids on poorly protected museums, magazines and excavations constitute theft from the Egyptian state and people.
The Greek journalist Lori Keza published an article in the Greek daily paper ‘To Vima’ on October 31, 2010, in which she critically discussed the sensitivities of her compatriots, when it comes to utilising ancient Greek culture for fundraising purposes. Using the example of the Marathon run along the historical route, which is actually only popular with foreigners, she complains that residents along the route are far more interested in their own comforts than in the cash flow, which the Greek economy could generate from this international event.