During the XXVII Archaeological Research Symposium held in Guatemala from July 22, experts have been discussing discuss measures to prevent and eradicate the looting of archaeological sites. The director of the Cultural Heritage, Oscar Mora, reported that the country has more than four thousand archaeological sites, almost all have suffered looting. Experts agree that the looters are from the villages near archaeological sites. It is believed that the heaviest looting occurred in the early 1970s, when the illegal sales may have totalled about U.S. $ 13 million a year.
In March this year the auction house Sotheby's, in France, auctioned a batch of 300 pre-Columbian artifacts from Mexico, Central and South America. Guatemala demanded the return of 13 of them."Casi todos los sitios arqueológicos han sufrido saqueo, dicen expertos" Prensa Libre, 25/07/13. (via Donna Yates)
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