The Department of Anthropology is pleased to announced that it will be hosting Dr. Donna Yates from October 24th to 28th. Yates is a Lecturer in Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime at the University of Glasgow’s Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research. An archaeologist by training, she is based out of a criminology department and is one of the founding members of the Trafficking Culture research consortium which conducts evidence-based inquiry into the global illicit trafficking of cultural objects. Her research broadly focuses on social aspects of antiquities trafficking, art crime, and related cultural property issues. Yates has recently held a Leverhulme Fellowship and a Core Fulbright Award to study the on-the-ground effects of high-level cultural policy in Latin America and her current work involves security for and protection of sacred art in Latin America and South Asia. Her research and other open research materials can be found on her ever-growing collection of websites, including traffickingculture.org, anonymousswisscollector.com, news.culturecrime.org, and stolengods.org
During her visit, Yates will be giving a public talk on Oct 26th at 7:00pm in the International Center, RM 115 entitled “Culture Crime: Investigating Global Antiquities Trafficking.” In addition, she will be leading a workshop for MSU graduate students entitled “Are ‘collectors the real looters?’ Does demand cause illicit supply? What policies are in place to control the actual market for antiquities?” More information on both the public talk and workshop can be found at yates.anthropology.msu.edu
Yates’ visit is part of the the Department of Anthropology’s strong, ongoing commitment to teaching, research, and public outreach in heritage studies.
Yates’ visit is sponsored by the Alumni and Friends Expendable Fund for Archaeology with co-sponsorship from: Department of Sociology, School of Criminal Justice, Department of History, Museum Studies Program, College of Social Sciences, College of Arts & Letters, Department of Art, Art History, and Design, and MATRIX: The Center for Digital Humanities & Social Sciences.
Image “2015.07.15 Bhaktapur 262 City Walk Statue and Ruins” by Donna Yates