Stealing History Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World [Paperback]

Roger Atwood knows more about the market for ancient objects than almost anyone. He knows where priceless antiquities are buried, who is digging them up, and who is fencing and buying them. In this fascinating book, Atwood takes readers on a journey through Iraq, Peru, Hong Kong, and across America, showing how the worldwide antiquities trade is destroying what's left of the ancient sites before archaeologists can reach them, and thus erasing their historical significance. And it is getting worse. The discovery of the legendary Royal Tombs of Sipan in Peru started an epidemic. Grave robbers scouring the courntryside for tombs--and finding them. Atwood recounts the incredible story of the biggest piece of gold ever found in the Americas, a 2,000-year-old, three-pound masterpiece that cost one looter his life, sent two smugglers to jail, and wrecked lives from Panama to Pennsylvainia. Packed with true stories, this book not only reveals what has been found, but at what cost to both human life and history.

Roger Atwoodis a regular contributor toARTnewsandArchaeologymagazines, and his articles on culture and politics have appeared inThe New Republic,Mother Jones,The Nation,The Washington Post, and theLos Angeles Times. He was a fellow at the Alicia Patterson Foundation and a journalist for Reuters for fifteen years, reporting from Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. He was awarded the Beacon Award by SAFE (Saving Antiquities for Everyone).

Roger Atwood'sStealing Historypresents a compelling, thorough, and firsthand investigation of the many facets of the international trade in looted archaeological artifacts . . . Atwood's volume is . . . a most welcome addition to the literature . . . [He]. . . does a significant service by adding to our understanding of the operation of the international market in archaeological artifacts and its disastrous consequences for the preservation of archaeologicalÓ4