{"id":4303,"date":"2023-08-24T16:03:46","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T21:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/?p=4303"},"modified":"2023-08-24T16:04:18","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T21:04:18","slug":"dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/","title":{"rendered":"Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kb-row-layout-id4303_609a4f-f7 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id4303_609a4f-f7 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}.kb-row-layout-id4303_609a4f-f7 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxl, 5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxl, 5rem);grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id4303_609a4f-f7 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.80;background-image:url('https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg');background-size:cover;background-position:center center;background-attachment:fixed;background-repeat:no-repeat;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px), only screen and (min-device-width: 1024px) and (max-device-width: 1366px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (orientation: landscape) and (hover: none){.kb-row-layout-id4303_609a4f-f7 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{background-attachment:scroll;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id4303_609a4f-f7 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-row-layout-id4303_609a4f-f7 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id4303_609a4f-f7 alignfull kt-row-has-bg wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-layout-overlay kt-row-overlay-normal kt-jarallax\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top kb-theme-content-width\">\n<style>.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xl, 4rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxl, 5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xl, 4rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxl, 5rem);}.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:flex-start;}.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column4303_ba245e-11{align-self:flex-start;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:flex-start;}.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11{text-align:left;}.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);flex-direction:column;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);flex-direction:column;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column4303_ba245e-11 kb-section-dir-vertical inner-column-1\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_498480-74, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_498480-74[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_498480-74\"]{margin-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_498480-74 mark, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_498480-74[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_498480-74\"] mark{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading4303_498480-74 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-3-color has-text-color\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_498480-74\">In a dimly lit room, a vase from the Ming dynasty is passed from one hand to another. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_c804b9-df, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_c804b9-df[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_c804b9-df\"]{margin-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_c804b9-df mark, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_c804b9-df[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_c804b9-df\"] mark{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading4303_c804b9-df wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-3-color has-text-color\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_c804b9-df\">An ancient Egyptian amulet changes ownership in a quiet alley. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A train car filled with priceless art chugging through a city undetected. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_48ea4e-a4, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_48ea4e-a4[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_48ea4e-a4\"]{margin-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_48ea4e-a4 mark, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_48ea4e-a4[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_48ea4e-a4\"] mark{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading4303_48ea4e-a4 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-3-color has-text-color\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_48ea4e-a4\">While these scenes might sound like they\u2019re ripped from a movie, they are snapshots of the clandestine world of the black market for antiquities, a multi-billion dollar industry. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_26a0fc-20, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_26a0fc-20[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_26a0fc-20\"]{margin-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_26a0fc-20 mark, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_26a0fc-20[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_26a0fc-20\"] mark{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading4303_26a0fc-20 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-3-color has-text-color\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_26a0fc-20\">This underworld stands at the intersection of history, greed, and global politics.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Allure of Antiquities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Antiquities have been venerated and coveted for centuries. For some, they are a testament to mankind&#8217;s rich history; for others, they signify wealth and status. A unique relic can make one&#8217;s collection distinct, and owning a piece of history is compelling. But there&#8217;s a darker side to this allure. The desire to possess these artifacts has given rise to a black market that exploits and erases history in the pursuit of prestige, profit, or power. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The hunt for myths, Legends, and Power<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 40%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>During the reign of Adolf Hitler and the expansion of the Third Reich, the world wasn&#8217;t only under threat of territorial conquest but also the plundering of its cultural heritage. Hitler wasn&#8217;t just a dictator with ambitions to dominate the world politically and militarily; he was also obsessed with acquiring art, artifacts, and relics that he believed would solidify his envisioned empire&#8217;s cultural and spiritual supremacy.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"767\" src=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Hitler_and_Mussolini_June_1940-1024x767.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4310 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Hitler_and_Mussolini_June_1940-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Hitler_and_Mussolini_June_1940-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Hitler_and_Mussolini_June_1940-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Hitler_and_Mussolini_June_1940-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Hitler_and_Mussolini_June_1940.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 40%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>In the early years of WWII, the Nazis formed the ERR, a special unit responsible for the seizure of valuable cultural properties. Under the guise of &#8216;safeguarding&#8217; these artifacts from the ravages of war or Bolshevik destruction, the ERR systematically looted thousands of artworks and relics from museums, churches, and especially from Jewish families across occupied Europe.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"821\" height=\"582\" src=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Jeu_de_Paume_ERR_1940.png\" alt=\"black market\" class=\"wp-image-4311 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Jeu_de_Paume_ERR_1940.png 821w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Jeu_de_Paume_ERR_1940-300x213.png 300w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Jeu_de_Paume_ERR_1940-768x544.png 768w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Jeu_de_Paume_ERR_1940-600x425.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 821px) 100vw, 821px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Mythological Pursuit<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 40%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Beyond mere art, Hitler and his inner circle, especially Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, were obsessed with acquiring religious and occult relics. This pursuit was not merely for their cultural value but stemmed from a twisted belief in their power. One of the most famous quests was for the &#8216;Spear of Destiny&#8217; or the &#8216;Holy Lance&#8217;, believed to be the spear that pierced Jesus Christ&#8217;s side. Legend had it that whoever possessed it would hold the fate of the world. It was rumored that Hitler sought this artifact, among others, to solidify his invincibility.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"898\" height=\"899\" src=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Fra_Angelico_027.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4313 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Fra_Angelico_027.jpg 898w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Fra_Angelico_027-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Fra_Angelico_027-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Fra_Angelico_027-768x769.jpg 768w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Fra_Angelico_027-600x601.jpg 600w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Fra_Angelico_027-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aftermath<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 40%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>By the end of the war, countless artifacts and artworks had been stolen, hidden, or lost. The Monuments Men, a group of Allied soldiers and experts, embarked on a mission to find, protect, and return these treasures. Many items were successfully returned to their rightful owners or their nations of origin, <strong>but many more remain lost, with their whereabouts unknown.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"726\" height=\"899\" src=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/726px-Raphael-Young_man-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4314 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/726px-Raphael-Young_man-1.jpg 726w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/726px-Raphael-Young_man-1-242x300.jpg 242w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/726px-Raphael-Young_man-1-600x743.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 726px) 100vw, 726px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mechanics of the Black Market<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The supply chain for illegal antiquities often starts with looters at archaeological sites. They may be locals coerced by criminal gangs or opportunists capitalizing on socio-political unrest. The stolen relics are then passed to middlemen who facilitate their covert transport across borders, eventually reaching collectors, auction houses, or private buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Key points that make this trade lucrative and relentless are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Demand from Wealthy Collectors:<\/strong> There\u2019s a clandestine group of collectors willing to turn a blind eye to the item&#8217;s provenance if it completes their collection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unregulated Online Marketplaces:<\/strong> The rise of the digital age has made it easier for illicit traders to find potential buyers on platforms where regulation is slim and anonymity is possible. In 2020, Facebook finally banned the exchange, sale, and purchase of &#8220;Historical Artifacts&#8221; on its site, but experts claim the impact will be minimal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ambiguous Legislation:<\/strong> While many countries have laws against trading in stolen antiquities, enforcement can be patchy, and the laws themselves might not be robust enough to deter traffickers.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Cultural Cost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Every artifact stolen is a piece of history lost. The context in which an artifact is found provides archaeologists with vital information about the past. When items are looted, this context is destroyed forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 40%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>The black market not only erases historical context but also fuels modern-day crises. ISIS, for instance, was documented profiting from the sale of looted artifacts, with the proceeds funding their militant activities. It&#8217;s a sobering thought that purchasing an artifact might inadvertently support terrorism or organized crime.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/free-photo-of-black-and-white-photo-of-a-man-holding-a-coin-in-his-left-hand-1024x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4315 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/free-photo-of-black-and-white-photo-of-a-man-holding-a-coin-in-his-left-hand-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/free-photo-of-black-and-white-photo-of-a-man-holding-a-coin-in-his-left-hand-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/free-photo-of-black-and-white-photo-of-a-man-holding-a-coin-in-his-left-hand-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/free-photo-of-black-and-white-photo-of-a-man-holding-a-coin-in-his-left-hand-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/free-photo-of-black-and-white-photo-of-a-man-holding-a-coin-in-his-left-hand-600x600.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/free-photo-of-black-and-white-photo-of-a-man-holding-a-coin-in-his-left-hand-100x100.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/free-photo-of-black-and-white-photo-of-a-man-holding-a-coin-in-his-left-hand.jpeg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Fight Back<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Efforts are being made globally to curb this illicit trade. International organizations like UNESCO have conventions aimed at preventing the illegal import, export, and transfer of ownership of cultural property. Various nations are strengthening their laws, while Interpol maintains a database of stolen works of art, which includes numerous antiquities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 40%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>The archaeological community, too, is battling this issue. By raising awareness about the importance of provenance and the value of artifacts in their original context, they hope to reduce demand on the collector&#8217;s side.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"606\" height=\"452\" src=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/606px-UNESCO_logo.svg_.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4316 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/606px-UNESCO_logo.svg_.png 606w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/606px-UNESCO_logo.svg_-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/606px-UNESCO_logo.svg_-600x448.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 30%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>If you&#8217;re interested in a deeper dive into Black Market Antiquities or other similar stories, you may want to explore works by authors like <strong>Jason Felch<\/strong> and <strong>Ralph Frammolino<\/strong> who wrote &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/44mkDur\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/44mkDur\">Chasing Aphrodite<\/a>,&#8221; a book that delves into the illicit trade in antiquities and the role of major institutions like the Getty Museum.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kb-btns4303_953e8e-bf{gap:var(--global-kb-gap-xs, 0.5rem );justify-content:flex-start;align-items:center;}.kt-btns4303_953e8e-bf .kt-button{font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}.kt-btns4303_953e8e-bf .kt-btn-wrap-0{margin-right:5px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_953e8e-bf .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button{color:#555555;border-color:#555555;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_953e8e-bf .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:hover, .wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_953e8e-bf .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:focus{color:#ffffff;border-color:#444444;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_953e8e-bf .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button::before{display:none;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_953e8e-bf .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:hover, .wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_953e8e-bf .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:focus{background:#444444;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn kb-buttons-wrap kb-btns4303_953e8e-bf\"><style>ul.menu .wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn .kb-btn4303_0e4819-04.kb-button{width:initial;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn .kb-btn4303_0e4819-04.kb-button{color:var(--global-palette3, #1A202C);background:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn .kb-btn4303_0e4819-04.kb-button:hover{color:var(--global-palette2, #2B6CB0);background:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-btn4303_0e4819-04.kb-button .kb-svg-icon-wrap{display:block;}}<\/style><a class=\"kb-button kt-button button kb-btn4303_0e4819-04 kt-btn-size-standard kt-btn-width-type-auto kb-btn-global-fill kt-btn-has-text-true kt-btn-has-svg-true wp-block-kadence-singlebtn\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/44mkDur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"kt-btn-inner-text\">View on amazon<\/span><span class=\"kb-svg-icon-wrap kb-svg-icon-fe_arrowRight kt-btn-icon-side-right\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"  fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"  aria-hidden=\"true\"><line x1=\"5\" y1=\"12\" x2=\"19\" y2=\"12\"\/><polyline points=\"12 5 19 12 12 19\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/44mkDur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0151015015.01.S001.JUMBOXXX-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4309 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0151015015.01.S001.JUMBOXXX-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0151015015.01.S001.JUMBOXXX-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0151015015.01.S001.JUMBOXXX-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0151015015.01.S001.JUMBOXXX-600x900.jpg 600w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0151015015.01.S001.JUMBOXXX.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-id4303_a6f771-0f > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id4303_a6f771-0f > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}.kb-row-layout-id4303_a6f771-0f > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxl, 5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxl, 5rem);grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id4303_a6f771-0f > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.80;background-image:url('https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/walkers-486583_1280.jpg');background-size:cover;background-position:center center;background-attachment:fixed;background-repeat:no-repeat;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px), only screen and (min-device-width: 1024px) and (max-device-width: 1366px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (orientation: landscape) and (hover: none){.kb-row-layout-id4303_a6f771-0f > .kt-row-layout-overlay{background-attachment:scroll;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id4303_a6f771-0f > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-row-layout-id4303_a6f771-0f > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id4303_a6f771-0f alignfull kt-row-has-bg wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-layout-overlay kt-row-overlay-normal kt-jarallax\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top kb-theme-content-width\">\n<style>.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xl, 4rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxl, 5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xl, 4rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxl, 5rem);}.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:flex-start;}.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column4303_383731-98{align-self:flex-start;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column4303_383731-98{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:flex-start;}.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column4303_383731-98{text-align:left;}.kadence-column4303_383731-98{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);flex-direction:column;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column4303_383731-98 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);flex-direction:column;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column4303_383731-98 kb-section-dir-vertical inner-column-1\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_3a4437-64, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_3a4437-64[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_3a4437-64\"]{margin-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_3a4437-64 mark, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_3a4437-64[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_3a4437-64\"] mark{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading4303_3a4437-64 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-3-color has-text-color\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_3a4437-64\">The black market of antiquities is not just a challenge for historians or nations; it\u2019s a threat to our collective human heritage. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_6808ca-79, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_6808ca-79[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_6808ca-79\"]{margin-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_6808ca-79 mark, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading4303_6808ca-79[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_6808ca-79\"] mark{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading4303_6808ca-79 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-3-color has-text-color\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading4303_6808ca-79\">Every artifact has a story to tell, and when it&#8217;s stolen, part of that story is lost forever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ancient Egyptians can&#8217;t create another mummy, the Romans won&#8217;t chisel another piece of marble, and Raphael won&#8217;t brush another canvas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The black market erodes our shared heritage and the precious remnants left by these bygone civilizations. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check This Out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 35%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>&#8220;Fun Fact: The movie &#8220;The Monuments Men,&#8221; starring George Clooney and Matt Damon, is based on the real-life group of Allied experts tasked with saving art and other culturally important items before they were destroyed by Hitler and the Nazis during WWII. Their adventurous endeavors went beyond the battlefield, diving deep into mines and castles to recover Europe&#8217;s stolen treasures!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you found our deep dive into the antiquities black market fascinating, don&#8217;t miss our piece on archaeological deceptions! Click the button below to explore further.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kb-btns4303_1c41fd-ac{gap:var(--global-kb-gap-xs, 0.5rem );justify-content:flex-start;align-items:center;}.kt-btns4303_1c41fd-ac .kt-button{font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}.kt-btns4303_1c41fd-ac .kt-btn-wrap-0{margin-right:5px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_1c41fd-ac .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button{color:#555555;border-color:#555555;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_1c41fd-ac .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:hover, .wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_1c41fd-ac .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:focus{color:#ffffff;border-color:#444444;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_1c41fd-ac .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button::before{display:none;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_1c41fd-ac .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:hover, .wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns4303_1c41fd-ac .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:focus{background:#444444;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn kb-buttons-wrap kb-btns4303_1c41fd-ac\"><style>ul.menu .wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn .kb-btn4303_6b448d-76.kb-button{width:initial;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn .kb-btn4303_6b448d-76.kb-button{color:var(--global-palette3, #1A202C);background:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn .kb-btn4303_6b448d-76.kb-button:hover{color:var(--global-palette2, #2B6CB0);background:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-btn4303_6b448d-76.kb-button .kb-svg-icon-wrap{display:block;}}<\/style><a class=\"kb-button kt-button button kb-btn4303_6b448d-76 kt-btn-size-standard kt-btn-width-type-auto kb-btn-global-fill kt-btn-has-text-true kt-btn-has-svg-true wp-block-kadence-singlebtn\" href=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/an-exploration-of-archaeological-frauds\/\"><span class=\"kt-btn-inner-text\">Discover here<\/span><span class=\"kb-svg-icon-wrap kb-svg-icon-fe_arrowRight kt-btn-icon-side-right\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"  fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"  aria-hidden=\"true\"><line x1=\"5\" y1=\"12\" x2=\"19\" y2=\"12\"\/><polyline points=\"12 5 19 12 12 19\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><a href=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/an-exploration-of-archaeological-frauds\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/fixed-9-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1940 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/fixed-9-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/fixed-9-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/fixed-9-750x1000.jpg 750w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/fixed-9-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/fixed-9.jpg 784w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a dimly lit room, a vase from the Ming dynasty is passed from one hand to another. An&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[110],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities - Trowel &amp; Brush<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities - Trowel &amp; Brush\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a dimly lit room, a vase from the Ming dynasty is passed from one hand to another. An...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Trowel &amp; Brush\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-24T21:03:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-24T21:04:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Roman Racina\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Roman Racina\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Roman Racina\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#\/schema\/person\/55dcafc46f764914023792a296fc1610\"},\"headline\":\"Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-24T21:03:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-24T21:04:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/\"},\"wordCount\":1024,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Archaeology\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/\",\"name\":\"Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities - Trowel &amp; Brush\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-24T21:03:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-24T21:04:18+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/\",\"name\":\"Trowel &amp; Brush\",\"description\":\"Unearthing the Answers, Brushing Away the Confusion\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Trowel &amp; Brush\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/TB-T-HAND-LOGO.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/TB-T-HAND-LOGO.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Trowel &amp; Brush\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#\/schema\/person\/55dcafc46f764914023792a296fc1610\",\"name\":\"Roman Racina\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31ff02c05c3e902151a98f97ee97fb77?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31ff02c05c3e902151a98f97ee97fb77?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Roman Racina\"},\"description\":\"Howdy! My name is Roman, I'm a Texas A&amp;M graduate, and I have a passion for all things archaeology. My goal with this website is to provide answers to questions that people have about the field of archaeology. If you like Indiana Jones and digging in the dirt, then you're in the right place.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/author\/roman\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities - Trowel &amp; Brush","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities - Trowel &amp; Brush","og_description":"In a dimly lit room, a vase from the Ming dynasty is passed from one hand to another. An...","og_url":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/","og_site_name":"Trowel &amp; Brush","article_published_time":"2023-08-24T21:03:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-24T21:04:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Roman Racina","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Roman Racina","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/"},"author":{"name":"Roman Racina","@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#\/schema\/person\/55dcafc46f764914023792a296fc1610"},"headline":"Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities","datePublished":"2023-08-24T21:03:46+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-24T21:04:18+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/"},"wordCount":1024,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg","articleSection":["Archaeology"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/","url":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/","name":"Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities - Trowel &amp; Brush","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg","datePublished":"2023-08-24T21:03:46+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-24T21:04:18+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BigComboTrailer.jpg","width":1200,"height":675},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/dark-desires-the-black-market-of-antiquities\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Dark Desires: The Black Market of Antiquities"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/","name":"Trowel &amp; Brush","description":"Unearthing the Answers, Brushing Away the Confusion","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#organization","name":"Trowel &amp; Brush","url":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/TB-T-HAND-LOGO.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/TB-T-HAND-LOGO.png","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"Trowel &amp; Brush"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#\/schema\/person\/55dcafc46f764914023792a296fc1610","name":"Roman Racina","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31ff02c05c3e902151a98f97ee97fb77?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31ff02c05c3e902151a98f97ee97fb77?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Roman Racina"},"description":"Howdy! My name is Roman, I'm a Texas A&amp;M graduate, and I have a passion for all things archaeology. My goal with this website is to provide answers to questions that people have about the field of archaeology. If you like Indiana Jones and digging in the dirt, then you're in the right place.","sameAs":["https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com"],"url":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/author\/roman\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4303"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4303"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4328,"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4303\/revisions\/4328"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trowelandbrush.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}