The social impacts of antiquities looting : the case of a deadly feud in Palestine

Abstract EN

The archaeological and cultural heritage resources of Palestine are always under serious threat due to the ongoing looting of antiquities.

The vandalism inflicted upon one archaeological site, however, has recently resulted in the outbreak of a violent and deadly quarrel between two Palestinian families.

One was the family of an antiquities looter and the other the owners of an abandoned traditional house, located within an identified archaeological site (Quza), where the looting gang of three individuals excavated for a brief period in hopes of extracting marketable archaeological objects.

This inter-familial feud in Huwwara led to the torching of properties and multiple killings, in the process endangering the safety and security of the local citizenry.

The main aim of this paper is to highlight the social risks of antiquities looting, to both the looters themselves and for the civil order and well-being of the larger community.