Blood Antiquities

OZY Daily Dose

In the more than four years that our editor Kate Bartlett worked as a journalist in Cambodia, she can’t say she covered many happy news stories. So she well remembers the ones she did, and the return of the Angkorian-era statues from the Koh Ker temple, looted during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, was among them. It was a proud moment for the impoverished country, which had sued New York-based auction house Sotheby’s over the stolen antiquities and won. Now, more and more nations that saw their invaluable artifacts pilfered under colonization, conflict or unrest are demanding the items be repatriated, and museums and auction houses in the West are under pressure to comply. But the era of tomb raiders is far from over. Pandemic-related lockdowns and empty heritage sites have proved a boon for traffickers. This Daily Dose dives into ancient mysteries that make Indiana Jones movies seem dull, examines current controversies around repatriations and gives you a peek at the world’s most sought-after plunder.