Archaeological looting, defined as the illegal and unscientific removal of artifacts from the ground, destroys stratigraphic data, damages artifacts, and generates illicit funds through smuggling networks. Systematic, broad-scale analysis of the problem is challenged by its opacity: How can we study the economic effects of archaeological looting when the details of the practice are not directly observable?

The AEA interviewed select poster presenters at the 2018 conference in Philadelphia to discuss their research and the broader implications of their work. View the full list of videos.