A recent study (Gizzatov, Tuzbekov and Akhatov 2025) reveals that over 12% of recorded archaeological sites in the Republic of Bashkortostan in the Russian Federation, despite the nominal protection these sites are given by the law of the region, have been damaged by illegal looting. The researchers analyzed data collected between 2017 and 2023 by the Scientific and Production Centre of the Republic of Bashkortostan on the condition of 623 archaeological sites (the work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation under Grant No. 25-18-00270 “Looting in the Urals: development of methods to counteract the destruction of cultural heritage objects). This research revealed a severe threat to local history and cultural artefacts and that looting is as a key factor in the loss of archaeological heritage in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Looters mostly search for metal objects and historical items from the 16th century to the early 20th century. There has been a ninefold increase in the activity of ‘treasure hunters’ since 2010, particularly in the Bashkir Trans-Urals and the northwestern part of the region near the lower parts of the Belaya River. Despite the huge rise in illegal excavations, officials have not recorded a single criminal case against archaeological looters in the region, Russian laws protecting cultural heritage contain contradictions and grey areas, making it hard to punish modern metal-detector looters. As a result of the research, the article proposes improvements to the monitoring system through the use of modern technologies and stricter control over the sale of metal detectors to preserve archaeological heritage. Reference
Gizzatov, D., Tuzbekov, A., and Akhatov, A. (2025). Cultural Heritage Loss Through Archaeological Looting: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Current Situation in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, 27(3), 195–215.
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