We all know the thrill of tomb raiding adventure novels and Hollywood films—Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, Thomas Crown—hunting for hidden treasures. But the real stories of looted and trafficked cultural property are far darker. In reality, it’s no longer daring explorers who dig up the past, but opportunistic criminals, war profiteers, mafia networks, armed insurgents, and even terrorist organizations.

The Antiquities Coalition, founded in 2014 by Deborah Lehr, was created to combat this cultural racketeering. As a “think and do tank,” the Coalition unites business leaders, government officials, lawyers, security experts, and other professionals in working towards a future when the past is preserved for the next generation, not looted, smuggled, and sold to the highest bidder.

In this exclusive talk, Executive Director and attorney Tess Davis takes you behind the scenes to reveal the high-stakes, illicit world where stolen art and cultural treasures fuel crime, conflict, and corruption—and the ways we can fight back.