The social impacts of antiquities looting: The case of a deadly feud in Palestine
Date
2020-09-30
Authors
Al-Houdalieh, Salah Hussein
Jamal, Hassan S.
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Abstract
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.
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Keywords
Antiquities looting and looters , deadly feuds , Palestinian territories , Huwwara , physical hazards