In today's antique market, in addition to counterfeits, 90% of everything comes from tomb robbery. Auctions, antiques fairs and art galleries are filled with similar collections. It is estimated that 80 to 90 percent of continental art sold on the international market is obtained illegally in some way. Beginning around 1980, bronzes, ceramics and jade from the Neolithic period to the 14th century began to flood into Western markets through Hong Kong. The objects originated in the interior of the continent and were most likely stolen from graves. Over the years, the number of such works of art on the market has increased dramatically.
Stolen excavated items are often taken to Hong Kong, where false histories and provenance are obtained. Much of the value ends up in antique shops and galleries in Hong Kong, or in auction houses and top galleries in the United States, Europe and Japan. In Hong Kong, you can buy Tang celadons, Ming Dynasty bowls, and even 2,000-year-old terracotta and Neolithic figures. We would generally agree that items were smuggled out of the country with the help of certain conditions.
It is estimated that between 300,000 and 400,000 tombs have been excavated on the mainland in the past 25 years, and 220,000 have been stolen between 1998 and 2003. At the same time, during this period, near Xi'an, where the Terracotta Warriors and Horses and other archaeological sites are located, the problem of excavation was particularly serious, including the capital of the Nine Dynasties of Luoyang in the central plains of the mainland. These areas are full of imperial tombs, most of which are unguarded and easy to be targeted by tomb robbers.
Museums, temples, archaeological sites or warehouses for art and artifacts were often stolen in the 1990s, and we see similar content on many televisions and documentaries. In 1994, a stone-carved Buddha statue purchased for $2 million and exhibited at the Miho Museum near Kyoto, Japan, was stolen from an office in Boxing County, Shandong Province. In 1997, a group of thieves used diamond saws and sledgehammers to knock down a seventh-century Sui and Tang Dynasty statue of Akshupa Buddha in the Four Gate Pagoda in Shandong Province, one of the four great Buddhas. The thief was quickly caught, but the head was gone. In February 2002, a Buddhist disciple found the complete head when he received a gift from a 73-year-old Buddhist master and founder of a meditation center. In December 2002, the head was placed back on the original Buddha torso.
Grave robbers have become more and more specialized. Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan, the most "affected" provinces, all have a particularly rich archaeological heritage. Grave robbers have begun to export their expertise to other regions. A cultural relics researcher estimates that there are nearly 100,000 people engaged in illegal chain excavations on the mainland.
Wei, a senior mainland investigator, said in a 2011 report in China Daily that such organizations often hired experienced teams of tomb robbers and were very skilled at selling stolen goods to middlemen. These people also know and train locals how to evade police pursuit and crackdown.
Poachers often return to a location repeatedly over several months. In some cases, thieves built small "factories" next to graves to give them freedom to come and go without being spotted.
"Stolen cultural relics are usually smuggled out of the country through Hong Kong and Macao and then shipped to Taiwan, Canada, the United States or European countries for trading," Wei said. ”
Underwater excavation and salvage on the mainland cannot be ignored. In the next issue, we will continue this topic. What do you think about that? You are welcome to let us know in the comments section.