Unproven numbers distract from the real harm of the illicit antiquities trade, says study
Credit: Antiquity (2023). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2023.90 New research has confirmed that the commonly repeated statement that the illicit antiquities trade is the third largest illicit trade in the world is unsupported by evidence. This factoid has been in circulation since the 1970s, and is regularly repeated in academic articles, popular press and even policy literature. As