Prison time, felony charges rare for relic looters in USA

The strength of the market for antiquities and the consistent failures of the US legal system to deal with those committing offences against the 1979 Archaeological Resources Protection Act, together with a lack of manpower and other priorities for investigators, means that the US is currently "witnessing the wholesale stripping and selling off for scrap our collective American heritage". Despite a push in recent decades to get tougher on artifact looters, there are no significant signs that prosecutions or punishments are having any major effect on looting, especially those that steal for commercial purposes, writes Mike Stark Associated Press writer ("Prison time, felony charges rare for relic looters"). It would seem the answer lies in controlling the market more closely. More here.

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