Iran argues that the artefact was acquired through criminal means, although their failure to speak out when the fragment went to auction previously may undermine their case

University College London has set up an inquiry to examine the origin of “looted” bowls on loan from a Norwegian collector

Switzerland’s is known for its pivotal presence in the underground network that moves illicitly excavated artefacts from country to country

Marilynn Alsdorf had hoped the case would be thrown out of court

A grant will enable them to probe incomplete provenance records

Update on requests for information regarding objects seized at battle of Maqdala

British Museum holds collection of objects seized at battle of Maqdala

Iran has clamped down on illegal trade in antiquities, which has led to archaeological sites being promptly denuded post-discovery

It is the first time that Iranian courts have issued a harsh punishment for the illicit exportation of goods from an archaeological site

In an article Bahrani wrote for the Guardian, she stated “[We have seen the] active destruction of the archaeological and historical record of the land”

The works were seized in 1999 in western Iran, near the Turkish border

The US-Iraqi academic has turned her attention to addressing the unauthorised excavation of archaeological sites

If a person in the UK who has a cultural item of Iraqi origin in his possession does not immediately hand that item over to a “constable”, he may now be guilty of a criminal offence and liable to imprisonment, even if he has legal title to the object

The ambassador assesses the situation on the ground and recommends that swift action must be taken if cultural landmarks are to remain

Many of the objects, some extant since the first millennium BC, were looted from the site and entered the international market

Hicham Aboutaam sold the antiquity to a New York buyer for $950,000; the US says it is part of a the looted Western Cave hoard

Illicit excavations occur as de-mined areas often show no signs of the riches below the surface so authorities do not deploy heritage security teams

After the tomb was discovered, Iran's Ministry of Culture were unable to prevent civilians from systematically emptying them of artefacts, which were then shipped overseas

Before police intervened, thousands of objects were plundered by locals and sold on to Europe

Unlike the heirs of Nazi victims, the descendants of collectors whose art was appropriated by the Bolsheviks are unlikely to have it returned

There on an official visit to gauge the level of damage done by looting, Pietro Cordone came out of the incident unscathed, although his interpreter was killed

Knoedler's poor provenance research led to the return of a $3 million painting to Italy

Two books reveal the complexities involved in restitution

The Art Newspaper takes inventory of the worst casualties

While the Warka Vase has been accounted for, reports suggest that the cylinder seal collection has vanished

The Art Newspaper speaks to the director of the Metropolitan about the historical significance of the Iraq Museum's plunder and how disasters of its kind can be dealt with

American army says it was aware of the risks, but did not protect the building as Iraqi nationals overwhelmed staff who attempted to defend the collection

The claim is for a bound 290-folio missal which appears to have disappeared in 1943

A claim brought against the Musée Carnavalet in Paris has an effect on US museums

Four drawings are being claimed by the heir of a Nazism victim