The Mediterranean Antiquities Provenance Research Alliance (MAPRA): Phase I

FAIN: PR-295902-24

Foundation for Ethical Stewardship of Cultural Heritage (Nashville, TN 37215-3344)
Mireille Michelle Lee (Project Director: May 2023 to present)

Establishment of a standard nomenclature and protocol for undertaking provenance research on Mediterranean antiquities, piloting of the protocol in four university test cases, and creation of a website with compiled resources and a listserv for individuals doing provenance research on Mediterranean antiquities.

The Mediterranean Antiquities Provenance Research Alliance (MAPRA) will bring together academics and museum professionals to create data standards and a protocol for undertaking provenance research on art and artifacts from the ancient Mediterranean. Mediterranean antiquities with no known provenance have been collected for decades, creating an illicit market fed by the looting of archaeological sites and museum thefts. As a result, ancient art and artifacts are damaged or lost, and archaeological sites are destroyed, depriving archaeologists of vital contextual information. MAPRA will provide training and resources for provenance research on objects from the ancient Mediterranean, in order to right the wrongs of the past and help curb the trade in illegal antiquities.