Therefore, Williams and Bookidis set about to do just that, selecting objects to fill the many voids. This then necessitated new shelf lists, improved descriptions of the objects, additional photography. The theft brought home to us most dramatically both the strengths and weaknesses of the Corinth inventory system. Restricted budgets in the past had led us to limit the number of photographs taken of objects. In addition, the American School of Classical Studies installed alarm systems in each of the museums built by American excavations.
International laws regarding antiquity theft are far from stringent.
Statutes of limitation on stolen objects are short, in some countries no more than two or three years. Moreover, the language in which these laws are written is sufficiently vague as to benefit the thief, the dealer, and the buyer. One phrase takes on great importance, namely, the showing of due diligence on the part of the owner in his attempts to recover his property. But what constitutes due diligence is by no means clear. One way to express it is by frequent reminders to Interpol and other police authorities that the objects are still missing.