Hobby Lobby smuggles thousands of Iraqi artifacts

  • Topic: Art 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Greg Bernhardt
  • Start date Start date
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
Sign up Log in
8 replies · 3K views
Greg Bernhardt
Admin
Insights Author
Messages
20,002
Reaction score
11,120
Pretty astounding they didn't think they'd get caught. I mean, maybe dozens, even hundreds, but thousands? Of course someone is going to look into that! How shameful!

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/p...it-thousands-ancient-iraqi-artifacts-imported

Earlier today, the United States filed a civil complaint to forfeit thousands of cuneiform tablets and clay bullae. As alleged in the complaint, these ancient clay artifacts originated in the area of modern-day Iraq and were smuggled into the United States through the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel, contrary to federal law. Packages containing the artifacts were shipped to Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (“Hobby Lobby”), a nationwide arts-and-crafts retailer based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and two of Hobby Lobby’s corporate affiliates. The shipping labels on these packages falsely described cuneiform tablets as tile “samples.”
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Drakkith and Doc Al
Physics news on Phys.org

Discussion

Sounds phony to me - considering that Hobby Lobby has powerful enemies. Needs some very serious fact-checking.
 
Marie Fecher said:
Sounds phony to me - considering that Hobby Lobby has powerful enemies. Needs some very serious fact-checking.
The source is the US Department of Justice website. Not Daily Mail.
 
They definitely did something. Exactly what isn't so clear, because as one of the conditions of the agreement usually one is not allowed to challenge the government's version of events. I think it's clear that they were dealing with some shifty characters, but what parts of this were Hobby Lobby's idea and what parts of this were these shifty characters' probably will never be known.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: jim mcnamara
I occasionally go to a Hobby Lobby store to pick up something needed for a restore project. From now on, should I go, this will enter my mind. :oldcry:
 
If you need to restore ancient Sumerian objects, you should be golden!
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: dlgoff and russ_watters
Vanadium 50 said:
If you need to restore ancient Sumerian objects, you should be golden!
:doh: :oldlaugh:
 
Vanadium 50 said:
If you need to restore ancient Sumerian objects, you should be golden!
I predict this will calve off shortly.