Scholarly facilitation of the illicit trade in cultural objects: providing a veneer of legitimacy

Smith, E. (2025) ‘Scholarly facilitation of the illicit trade in cultural objects: providing a veneer of legitimacy’, Advances in Archaeological Practice, pp. 1–16.

Cultural objects are sold via global, public networks, where market stakeholders rely on the services of other actors such as academics, authenticators, and restorers to facilitate and legitimate this trade. This article will build on Neil Brodie’s examination of the role scholarly facilitators play in the illicit trade in cultural objects by exploring the harmful consequences of such scholarship, using the case studies of Emma Bunker and Mary Slusser as examples. This article argues that those of us with intellectual authority and control interacting with cultural objects should reflect on the broader social context of our research and the consequences of our knowledge production—and reckon with the exploitative and colonial foundations of the knowledge we build on. Ongoing ethical awareness and reflexivity need to be integrated into our practice to support and foster social justice. The article ends with some recommendations on how to incorporate these ideas into academic practice.

Article available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/aap.2024.35