The Antiquities Trade and Digital Networks

Abstract

Abstract The internet facilitates the trade in antiquities, both licit and illicit, but not necessarily in the ways we might first expect. The recommendation algorithms of the major platforms push buyers and sellers together, eliminating the need for brokers. The so-called “darknet” is therefore not necessary for the vast majority of people involved in the trade. Network analytic approaches are a valuable tool in studying this trade. In this chapter we consider how network perspectives on social media and e-commerce provide a foundation upon which the illicit antiquities trade can flourish and illustrate this approach with case studies drawn from our own research, and adjacent approaches. Such research also requires careful ethical planning, and we point to an available framework to consider these dilemmas.