Networks,
Antiquities, and
Black-Market
Users
Over the past decades, the trade in looted cultural objects has shifted from clandestine basements to the familiar platforms used by millions of people each day. Social media, online marketplaces, and community forums host a constant flow of posts advertising artefacts for sale, many with illicit origins.
Many so-called 'source' countries, where these objects originate, tend to lack the investigative resources to tackle their illicit sale.
The Problem
Although a few law enforcement bodies maintain sophisticated systems for tracking stolen cultural property, most do not have the capacity to monitor the sheer volume of online activity. As a result, researchers and police often face an incomplete picture: isolated posts, fragmented data, and little information about the trends that characterise the trade.
The Solution
NABU project is developing automated web scrapers to collect data from online marketplaces, forums, and social media. These data are mined, analysed, and shared directly with law enforcement partners in under-resourced countries. With an initial focus of Iraq, the project provides evidence-based reports to police to support investigations into the illicit sale of cultural goods.
Objective #1
Identify > 100 unique sellers involved in the online sale of Iraqi artefacts.
Objective #2
Generate risk scoring for seller accounts using a reproducible methodology.
Objective #3
Produce actionable intelligence for Iraqi partners, compiled in quarterly reports.
Project Methodology
Data Collection
Data are collected using automated, Python-based web scrapers from publicly available sources such as online marketplaces, community forums, and social media.
Data Cleaning
All collected data are processed through a data cleaning pipeline that removes duplicate objects, standardises properties, and harmonises metadata.
Classification and Risk Assessment
Each post is classified by object type, material, origin, and other relevant attributes. A series of indicators are then used to assess how likely an item is to be illicit, flagging the seller accordingly.
Reporting for Law Enforcement
Insights from data mining are compiled into clear, structured reports designed in consultation with law enforcement partners to support the fight against the illicit online sale of cultural goods.
The project's methodology
leverages the successful example of past initiatives, included the EU-funded RITHMS project and the ATHAR Project, both of which rely on large-scale data collection for insights on the illicit trade.
We partner directly with law enforcement agencies in countries where cultural heritage policing is chronically under-resourced.
The project provides structured datasets, risk assessments, and analytical reports directly to national police forces at no cost and with no obligation to upgrade hardware, license software, or train on new methods, giving them access to evidence they may otherwise be unable to collect.
This approach ensures that insights generated by the project feed immediately into frontline enforcement efforts, strengthening local capacities rather than replacing or bypassing them.
The project takes its name from Nabu, the ancient Mesopotamian god of writing, wisdom, and record-keeping.
In Babylonian and Assyrian traditions, Nabu was the divine scribe who documented human actions and safeguarded knowledge for future generations. The project draws on this symbolism deliberately: just as Nabu preserved the written record, the NABU project seeks to document cultural objects at risk of disappearing into illicit markets.
The name reflects both the project’s initial geographic focus as well as its core mission of using systematic, evidence-based documentation to protect the cultural heritage of Iraq and its neighbours.