http://www.dowling.edu/library/papers/laura/theft.html
For the purpose of this profile, antiquities are any artifacts of historical value. Theft is defined as the illicit removal of another's property without consent, including looting and plundering. Therefore, in this paper, antiquities theft is defined as the illicit removal of objects from their owners, be they the country of origin or a museum that has legal ownership. The scope of the paper covers worldwide antiquities theft from the late 1700s until the present day.
