Collapse of once-feared security apparatus, coupled with widespread poverty, has triggered a gold rush
    • Carmakazi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      6 hours ago

      It’s a tough proposition, because Islamist militants have a recent history of destroying artifacts and desecrating historical sites. At least if they’re stolen, the possibility exists of repatriation in the future, when Syria hopefully has a stable government.

      But the people involved in this are most probably not curators in spirit like that, they’re thieves and mercenaries looking for a cashout.

      • Artyom@lemm.eeEnglish
        5·
        2 hours ago

        Actual museum curators track these kind of events, and have budgets to re-collect them later. That’s how we found the new chapter of Gilgamesh a few years ago. It was unidentified in Iraq museum, stolen during the 2003 invasion, then bought by a curator for less than $1000.