England, for example, is plagued by nocturnal enthu siasts equipped with metal detectors, who sneak out at night and dig up ancient coins and artifacts like felonious squirrels, The Salisbury hoard, an unusual cache o more than 470 artifacts from both the Bronze and Iron ages, was uncovered in 1985 by two such coin poachers, digging illegally on private land. The coins and metal artifacts were quickly sold and dispersed to collectors worldwide. Detective work by a British Museum curator led to the eventual recovery of two-thirds of the hoard, and the two poachers were convicted to theft. But although the Salisbury investigation was far more successful than most, a third of the trove has never been recovered. As for artifacts brought home during England's colonial era, Bauer says the government is limited in what it can do.
Museums can, on their own, choose to return items.
But in one of the world's most famous disputes, the British government recently announced it sees not reason to return the Parthenon marbles to Greece. The marble bas-reliefs, carved to adorn the Parthenon, were looted about 200 years go and reside today in the British Museum. And Europe faces years of difficult litigation over the return of art stolen during World War II, looted first by the Nazis and then by Allied soldiers. With the breakup of the former Soviet Union, it can be difficult to figure out in which country even to begin a search. There are tools available for developing nations as well.