“What Do We Owe to Already-Looted Objects?”

Please note that our first lecture of 2026 will take place on a MONDAY, rather than the usual Thursday:

by Dr. Elizabeth Marlowe, Professor of Art History at Colgate University

Monday, February 9

6:00 pm

A Manton Lecture of the Archaeological Institute of America, this lecture is co-sponsored by the University of Richmond Department of Classical Studies and will be free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served!

Abstract:

A key strategy in the fight to stop the looting of archaeological sites is to reduce the market demand for looted artifacts. To this end, in 2008, most U.S. museums ceased acquiring artifacts whose exportation from their country of origin cannot be proven either to have been legal or to have occurred prior to 1970. These well-intentioned guidelines also mean that many ancient artworks and artifacts that are already in private hands can no longer be donated to museums. What has been happening to these objects since 2008? How can we ensure their long-term care without further incentivizing looting? In this talk, I propose a possible solution grounded in partnerships between collectors, university museums, and source countries.