The British Museum’s Circulating Artefacts (CircArt) project, launched in 2018, has gone live: https://www.britishmuseum.org/our-work/departments/egypt-and-sudan/circulating-artefacts
Described by the BM as ‘a groundbreaking initiative against the widespread global trade in illicit antiquities‘, CircArt’s online platform currently focuses on antiquities from Egypt and Sudan. It is designed as a tool for all, irrespective of background or profession, who want to help counteract the looting and trafficking of cultural artefacts.
Welcomed by the trade, the project has recently also received some criticism from dealers’ associations as the database is only accessible to the BM’s CircArt team – as reported by the Antiques Trade Gazette: https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/print-edition/2020/april/2439/news/british-museum-unveils-antiquities-database-but-dealers-raise-concerns/ – Nevertheless, support for the BM’s initiative to develop and provide a tool against the trafficking of antiquities seems to be unanimous.
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