Combatting the Illegal Antiquity Trade through Museums and Economic Reform

Abstract

The issues surrounding the illegal antiquity trade in Jordan are extremely complex. Many Jordanian looters are unaware of the economic disparity they are experiencing on the the antiquity market, or simply feel they are not in a position to do anything about it. These looters are searching for a way to support themselves and their community, and are either unaware or do not care about the damage the illegal antiquity trade has on the archaeological record. One of the easiest ways to communicate these issues to the Jordanian public is utilizing museums. However, this is only the first step as looters must be able to find a viable alternative to the loss of looting as a source of income. In this paper I will provide an explanation on the harmful effects of looting, both for the archaeological record and for looters, and offer more in-depth solutions to combat the illegal antiquity trade in Jordan.