You have been robbed.
History Lost
An exhibition about the illicit trade of antiquities in the world.

"The looting of archaeological sites is still widespread, and in some countries so severe as to undermine any hope of establishing a proper history of these lands.
Let us remember that the most important loss occasioned by looting is the loss of information. With the destruction of such sites, the context of the finds is lost, even if the finds survive..."

Lord Colin Renfrew, archaeologist

History Lost

The removal of the Parthenon Marbles by Lord Elgin, in 1801, is famous. What is less well known is the extent of the looting of archaeological sites around the world today: that the majority of antiquities, which appear for sale on the art market, have been illegally dug and smuggled out of their country of origin.
The steadily increasing number of museums in the U.S. and the rising demand for antiquities by private collectors in Europe, North America, Japan and Australia have exhausted the supply of legal antiquities. Few objects of the old collections, built up during the eighteenth century, are appearing on the market. The trade relies mainly on trafficking, theft and pillage.
In contrast to the Elgin Marbles, the context and provenance of these objects will never be known. We will never know why they were created and what they have to say about our past. Taken out of context, they have lost their historical value.
The escalating plunder of the world's archaeological heritage has not gone unnoticed by the international community. In 1970, UNESCO adopted the "Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property". In 1972, after its ratification by four countries, the Convention went into effect. Today, 109 countries have adopted the Convention. The U.S. signed in 1983, Great-Britain in 2003.
After the UNESCO Convention, museums, collectors and dealers still trading in antiquities of unknown provenance, began to use forged documents to cover their activities. As it was becoming increasingly difficult for western museums to buy antiquities, new large private collections were formed, containing previously unseen antiquities of unknown provenance. These collections, in turn, were exhibited, borrowed or bought by important museums in the West.
Although the acquisitions made by large museums have been widely criticised, looting in Africa, Asia and Latin America has become more destructive due to the rise of art market prices.
In Greece for example, due to the extensive looting of the Cyclades, we have lost the chance to find out more about the use and role of Cycladic idols and the history of these islands during the Bronze Age. Similarly, the destruction of Cyprus's cultural heritage intensified after the Turkish invasion. The antiquities trade spiralled out of control in the occupied northern part of Cyprus. It is estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 Byzantine icons, mosaics and wall-paintings have been stolen.