To Treat or Not to Treat- Conservators and the Illicit Trade of Antiquities

By: Y.D.

Abstract: The illicit trade of antiquities is one of the most destructive threats to our archaeological heritage. Conservators, by treating or authenticating illicit artefacts, have played an important role in this trade. This poster briefly discusses the consequences of conservation treatments might have, how conservators might contribute to the trade, and suggests what conservators should do when presented with illicit artefacts.

Target Audience: The first group of target audience is conservators. Many conservators are not aware of the legal and ethical issues presented by the involvement of conservation with the antiquity trade. Therefore, it is important to address these issues to them and encourage them to make appropriate inquiries about the provenance of the objects before treating them. The poster also needs to be shown to the antiquity dealers and collectors, in order to address the importance of archaeological context and encourage them not to deal or collect objects without proper provenance. The final group is suggested to be archaeologists, art historian and other experts related to the study of the past, since people who care about the past are responsible for its protection and should work together to ensure the safety of cultural heritage.