The AC was founded in the aftermath of the Egyptian Revolution in January 2011, when, in the weeks after the uprising, reports of cultural racketeering[1][2] lit up archaeological hotlines due to the plundering of ancient sites, museums, storerooms, and places of worship.
Through independent research and outside collaborations, we develop and implement innovative and practical solutions, empowering communities and even countries in crisis.
AC works with experts to analyze the illegal antiquities trade, which the Congressional Research Service has named as a major source of funding for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
[4] AC also builds archeological databases,[5] and organizes conferences and roundtables, sometimes with Middle East officials responsible for the antiquities trade.
[6] In June 2020, After pressure from many groups, including the Antiquities Coalition, Facebook announced new rules that would ban the exchange, sale, and purchase of all "historical artifacts" on its site and on Instagram.