Marc Balcells is a Doctor of Criminal Justice from the University of New York City and Professor of Criminology and Law at the Oberta Universidad de Catalunya, in addition to an advisor to the United Nations in the field of drug trafficking and organized crime. He based his doctoral thesis on the study of Italian tomb thieves, the calls Tombarolia profession as frequent in some areas of Italy as the doctor, rail or mailman.
Now, the aforementioned thesis has become a revealing and interesting book, Archeomàfiawhich has been edited in Catalan by Campana. “When the thieves get a grave, they use it completely,” says Balcells. It no longer serves to interpret the past, neither for science nor for archeology.
It happens that the looters are the first link in the long chain that constitutes the illicit traffic of archaeological objects, which end many times in the showcases of private collectors and even in those of some top -level museums, as happened in past decades with The scandals of the Getty Museum of Los Angeles.
That is why Balcells wanted to understand the motivations of this group that causes such irreparable damage in the communities where the deposits are. And is that Tombaroli, And the rest of the chain intermediaries, “are enriched with goods that are not theirs, but belong to the community.”
The expert warns, anyway during the interview with eldiario.es, that “archaeological looting, although it has been customary in Italy, is a global phenomenon that affects all societies, also the Spanish.”
What do you intend with the publication of Archeomàfia?
My idea by becoming a book My thesis was, on the one hand, to move the focus of the few studies and research that is about it, and that usually puts the upper part of the traffic chain, this is in antiquers, auctions or collectors who buy the pieces. I have preferred to go to the base, study the people who subtract the pieces of patrimonial value of the deposit to know what motivates them, what benefit they get and how their activity can be stopped, since without Tombaroli There is no traffic.
To do this I have interviewed many, mostly already retired, I have walked with them through the deposits and have explained their history. I think it is important, apart from understanding them, derupting their activity, showing that they are normal and current people, often non -professional, that hurts the heritage and believes that it does not commit a crime. It is not heroes with mask or Indiana Jones.
I must say, on the other hand, that despite the title, at least in Italy, mafia organizations have not infiltrated among the looters or other strata in the chain, although promptly some of their bosses have gained tolls for digging on their land or bought pieces. But they have usually remained on the sidelines.
What is the profile of a Tombarolo?
It depends a lot on the area, the time, the circumstances, etc. Many of those that I have treated, retired, are people with notions of archeology and history and also of restoration of pieces, enough to assess what they can cost in the market and also to bleach them, this is to put them in good condition and make them seem fruit of the legal market. Because there is a legal market, which works with studied and certified pieces, in which the pieces are always attempted.
On the other hand, the Tomabaroli They do not believe that the activity they carry out is illegal: they think there is a great abundance of forgotten tombs and assume that looting them is less criminal than to traffic with people or drugs, which partially must be recognized that it is true. The problem is that they do not recognize the damage they do to science and community with their activity.
What economic volume moves the illegal traffic of archaeological pieces?
It is difficult to evaluate it, among other things because the only thing that can be quantified is the price that the pieces reach in international auctions, where they are conveniently bleached, which not all are detected. In addition, another part is sold in more private and clandestine spheres. Anyway, some estimates are located about six billion dollars per year.
Some estimates place the benefit of illicit traffic of archaeological pieces about six billion dollars per year
Marc Balcells, author of ‘Archeomafia’
Anyway, it is necessary to clarify that it is a very general estimate, without scientific basis; The real figure could be higher, but also be overestimated. However, I think it is important to point out that the exhaled material of tombs and deposits is not, or should not be, quantifiable from the economic point of view, since it is the heritage of a country or a community, something that offers identity and allows the past to be explained.
Is the looting of tombs an activity that only occurs in Italy, at least at the levels you tell?
No, it is a global problem, which affects both countries in the north and southern. In England, for example, they have this problem with the sajement deposits; in Scotland with the Celtic and with the Vikings in Scandinavia, etc. Logically, with Italian archaeological exuberance and a certain tradition of search or management of pieces that farmers found, there is almost a recognized activity – not legally – in some areas, something that has been done a lifetime.
In fact, it is not persecuted until the 30s of the last century, when Mussolini realizes that an ultra -nationalist regime like yours, if you want Tombaroli. He thinks that until recently it was a courtesy gesture to give up statues, busts or ceramics looted with deposits when someone wanted to entertain.
But great plundering can also be seen in areas of Bulgaria and Romania, where there are deposits of the Dacia civilization, or in Iraq, Syria or Turkey following all the wars that have been in the area during the 21st century. Logically, the richer an archeology and less pending are the authorities, the more traffic increases.
Are these pieces, conveniently ‘bleached’, to the museums?
I believe that if many museums and institutions did a deep review of their collections, some unpleasant surprise would be taken, perhaps enough. There have been cases such as the Getty Museum of Los Angeles, which for decades bought pieces looking the other way when they came from illegal trafficking, something that still plans today on the institution.
There have been cases such as the Getty Museum of Los Angeles, which for decades bought pieces looking the other way when they came from illegal traffic
Marc Balcells, author of ‘Archeomafia’
But it also happens that sometimes it is very difficult to identify a piece as illegal, since it is conveniently bleached by intermediaries. There is a laundering system that I explain in my book and what is called Cordattawhich consists of crossing a piece between intermediaries to erase the trail of its origin after a mountain of certificates. Many of these pieces may have finished in museums and collections that have bought them believing that they were legal.
Also in Spanish museums?
Of course, although in this regard I must say that I have sometimes asked my contacts in the Europol and Interpol and tell me that Spain is a very out of suspicion country.
But in Spain there have been great heritage looting …
True, but you have to look at the plunder with the eyes of its time, not with those of now. In the past, Romanesque jewelry was sold because no one knew how to value them, and no one kept them, which granted a certain, and false, moral excuse to the looters. Even sometimes it was not even looting, since the subtraction of heritage was produced by sale or, at least, with the acquiescence of the competent authority.
Are there looting currently?
Yes, but in Spain there is hardly any tomb activity, but it is mostly metal detectors, looking for coins, spearheads and other objects with the detector near areas that know they contain deposits. The damage is the same; They do not tumble, but remove the pieces, subtract them from the environment and disable the site.
I had to leave X for the harassment of US coin collector associations
Marc Balcells, author of ‘Arqueomàfia’
In addition, the price of an old currency can be high in the market, it is a very profitable business and with a great international demand. There are large specialized forums where they even get to sell the Tombaroli Italians and where they buy collectors around the world. For example, I had to leave X for the harassment of US coin collector associations.
How can you fight archaeological looting?
I define two ways. One is education: both social and their own awareness Tombaroli that heritage is a value for the community and that you can even get community economic revenue, since it can be an attraction pole for interested tourists. Thus, it can bring income to hotels, restaurants, souvenir stores or museums.
The other way is the hardening of penalties at the level of the looters, since it is currently paid with a fine of 900 to 3,000 euros, which is well below the benefit that can be obtained with the sale of the pieces. I do not usually defend the punitive measures, but I think that a higher threshold of penalties can be dissuasive.
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