The Vast Majority of Antiquities Sold Online Are Probably Looted or Fake, Report Says Artnet News

More scaremongring from our enemies: Julia Halperin, "The Vast Majority of Antiquities Sold Online Are Probably Looted or Fake, a New Report Says" ArtNews November 1, 2017.

Up to 80 percent of the antiquities for sale online are likely looted or fake, according to new research. The Wall Street Journal has conducted a thorough investigation into the surge in illicit antiquities bought and sold online. Neil Brodie, a senior research fellow in Endangered Archaeology at the University of Oxford, estimates that 80 percent of the 100,000 antiquities available online at any given moment have no recorded provenance—which means they are probably looted or fake. These objects have a combined total asking price of more than $10 million, he says. The explosion of fake and looted antiquities is the result of two combustible factors. First, ISIS has conducted unprecedented looting across the Middle East in recent years, bringing a wave of illicit objects into the marketplace. Second, novice collectors now have unprecedented access to un-vetted material thanks to the rapid growth of outlets like Facebook, WhatsApp, eBay, and Amazon.

There are many ways to avoid buying either, like stay with respected dealers with a clean record.