Anthropology Resources: Cultural Heritage & Preservation

A comprehensive database of over 118,000 abstracts of literature related to the preservation and conservation of material cultural heritage.

The aim of the database is to protect the cultural heritage as a whole by combating the looting, theft, illegal export and import and illicit trafficking of cultural property as well as the degradation and all other forms of deterioration of the heritage.

The Red Lists classify the endangered categories of archaeological objects or works of art in the most vulnerable areas of the world, in order to prevent them being sold or illegally exported.

"Looted Heritage" is a project of Dr. Shawn Graham, Associate Professor of Digital Humanities at Carleton University in Ottawa Canada.

This site monitors various social media and regular media feeds for stories and reports about the trade in antiquities, which then get mapped. The more such things are made visible, the better our chances of spotting important trends and developments. It also maps academic work on the problem of the illicit antiquities trade.

The Archaeological Conservancy, established in 1980, is the only national non-profit organization dedicated to acquiring and preserving the best of our nation's remaining archaeological sites. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Conservancy also operates regional offices in Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, and California.

Overview of the AIA's Site Preservation program, reports, and resources.

Information about ICOM, the museum world's code of ethics, and information about programs and resources.

Information about ICOMOS, programs, publications and resources.

A not-for-profit educational and research organization dedicated to integrity in the visual arts. IFAR offers impartial and authoritative information on authenticity, ownership, theft, and other artistic, legal, and ethical issues concerning art objects.

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act is a Federal law passed in 1990. NAGPRA provides a process for museums and Federal agencies to return certain Native American cultural items -- human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony -- to lineal descendants, and culturally affiliated Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations. NAGPRA includes provisions for unclaimed and culturally unidentifiable Native American cultural items, intentional and inadvertent discovery of Native American cultural items on Federal and tribal lands, and penalties for noncompliance and illegal trafficking.

Non-profit organization dedicated to preserving cultural heritage worldwide.

Use the column menu on the left to navigate to sections on Armed Conflict, Illicit Traffic, Return of Cultural Property, National Legislations, and Museums.

Supports the foreign affairs functions of the U.S. Department of State related to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage.

The U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield is a charitable nonprofit organization committed to the protection of cultural property worldwide during armed conflict.