Archeologists Fake News on Looting

In reply to a further reiteration of the claims by Owen Jarus that: "$100 Million in Artifacts Shipped from Egypt and Turkey to US in 2016" (Live Science March 21, 2017), the cultural property expert Peter Tompa explains that this information is "merely the latest iteration of what is essentially the same article that has been published three times in the last year":

Each time, the author has been apprised of serious concerns about his methodology.  I also emailed his publication in the past, but received no response.  Both the author and the internet publication, “Live Science” have instead ignored these concerns in favor of lurid headlines.  In brief, my concerns are as follows.

1.      The author’s methodology is flawed.  I have spoken to several Customs experts.  They have confirmed that one cannot assume the trade data accurately reflects direct exports from either Turkey or Egypt.  Rather, it is quite likely the figures also take into count objects made in Egypt and Turkey and exported from third countries.  These items could have been out of Turkey or Egypt for years.

2.     The article focuses on exports of gold coins from Turkey and Egypt.   The author implies that the large outflows of gold coins are due to looting.  In fact, the figures relate to antique gold coins (over 100 years old) that exist in the millions.  Such coins—mainly 19^th c. issues—have been used as stores of wealth in the Middle East, Europe and the United States for decades. 

3.     It is likely the outflow can be explained in one of two ways.  Large shipments of 19^th c. gold coins from Egyptian or Turkish mints coming from third countries or large shipments of such coins coming from either Turkey or Egypt.  If the former, they are likely part of the normal trade in such items between investors.  (It is my understanding that bullion sellers make large bulk shipments periodically—one such shipment could impact the trade numbers greatly.)  If the latter, the outflows are likely explained by wealthy Turks and Egyptians shipping out hard assets for safe keeping given political instability at home.  In neither circumstance would the shipments likely have anything to do with ISIS or looting.

Here is my past blog post on the matter:  http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/2016/09/more-junk-science-from-live-science.html

Thank you for your consideration.

Peter Tompa