archaeological thefts

Tells the stories of iconic cultural objects that were stolen, smuggled or sold, and eventually returned back to their original owner. Author and reader encounter a cast of fascinating characters from the underbelly of the cultural world: unscrupulous grave robbers, sinister middlemen, ruthless art dealers, venal Nazis, canny lawyers, valiant academics, unstoppable investigative reporters, unwitting curators, and dedicated government officials.

Archaeologist Nathan Lee Swift has always respected the ruins he has explored and never crossed the line between noble discovery and the plundering of ruins, until one night when he gives in to his professor's greed and becomes a common grave robber, but when a wealthy collector opens a vial of blood dating back to the first century, releasing a plague which threatens to destroy humanity, Nathan finds a chance for redemption.

Traces the stories of many of the ancient treasures of the world that were looted over the past two centuries and placed in such museums as the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the British Museum; and chronicles the efforts by Egypt, Greece, Italy, and Turkey to have these items returned.

When a mummy is stolen from the museum, Kit Salter and her friends try to track the thief, bringing them to the heart of the Western Desert, where both Kit and the villains face the terrible power of ancient Egypt.

Viewing the growing illicit trade in antiquities the author offers proposals designed to protect the remnants of man's past.

Describes how grave robbers supply museums and the super rich with ancient artifacts and treasures and how their looting has impacted what researchers know about ancient civilizations.

Contains a collection of essays and photographs that examine the looting of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad in 2003, attempting to reconstruct, in words and pictures, one of the world's largest and most important collections of rare and meaningful artifacts.

Exposes the network behind the illegal trade in ancient artifacts and the exploits of Giacomo Medici, an Italian antiquities dealer and mastermind of illegal business dealings involving priceless artifacts.