Looted: the risks of buying ancient history
Business Daily
BBC
4.4 • 796 Ratings
🗓️ 16 July 2025
⏱️ 17 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It may be a key plot point in films and video games like Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider, but the real-life looting of ancient artefacts has reportedly reached unprecedented levels – and research suggests that even terror groups could be cashing in on stolen relics. What’s being done to stop it?
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]
Presented and produced by Ryan Keane
(Picture: A looted Etruscan urn recovered by the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Italy, now stationed at its HQ in Rome. Credit: BBC)
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello, I'm Ryan Keane and welcome to Business Daily from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:06.6 | Today, I'm exploring the risks of the antiques trade and a reported rise in the looting and laundering of ancient relics. |
| 0:13.8 | The people involved in extracting and selling these items are often either directly or indirectly connected to armed non-state |
| 0:22.3 | actors, many of which are terrorist groups. |
| 0:25.6 | I'll also be hearing about how some museum curators are making it their mission to keep laundered |
| 0:30.5 | items out of their institutions and the criticism that can come with it. |
| 0:35.1 | And immediately, I would be attacked by both sides. |
| 0:38.4 | People who would accuse me of holding on to looted art. |
| 0:42.2 | And then on the other side, being accused of being far too woke and just wanting everything |
| 0:46.3 | to go back. |
| 0:47.4 | And in the Italian capital of Rome, I'll be seeing how new technology is being used to fight |
| 0:52.4 | traffickers. |
| 0:53.3 | We will be able to recognize archaeological artifacts that have been stolen in Italy. |
| 0:59.4 | The risks of buying ancient history. |
| 1:01.6 | That's here on Business Daily from the BBC. |
| 1:09.5 | So this story begins with a Roman coin. |
| 1:13.6 | It's in front of me right now. |
| 1:15.1 | I keep it in a little bag in one of my drawers in my flat in London. |
| 1:18.8 | It's a small greyish coin. |
| 1:21.2 | It features the Emperor Claudius II, |
| 1:23.6 | and it's roughly 1,800 years old. |
| 1:26.8 | Now, I bought this from an antiques dealer in London last December, |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 1 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.