Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Summer Rose Austin

@summeraustin.bsky.social

750 followers 170 following 110 posts

Archaeologist researching cultural heritage crime, looting, trafficking, il/licit markets, museum ethics and law | 1st Gen PhD Candidate at @uclarchaeology.bsky.social | she/her

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Nov 14

Since we all seem to be flocking here, thought it would be good to do an introduction. I’m an archaeologist that focuses on cultural heritage crime. My PhD research investigates the impact of Tutankhamen blockbuster museum exhibitions on the market for Egyptian material & how that influences crime.

Newspaper article titled Inside The Museums Tutankhamun Shops with a photo of Egyptian material for sale in the museum gift shop

1 1 9

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · 14h

A really interesting read about rare book thefts
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

The Pushkin job: unmasking the thieves behind an international rare books heist

The long read: Between 2022 and 2023, as many as 170 rare and valuable editions of Russian classics were stolen from libraries across Europe. Were the thieves merely low-level opportunists, or were bi...

www.theguardian.com

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · 6d

Excited (and relieved!) to share that I have officially submitted my doctoral thesis: “Tut on Tour: 30 Years of Demand Creation through Blockbuster Exhibition” at @uclarchaeology.bsky.social

I’m grateful to my supervisors, colleagues, friends, and family for their unending support throughout!

1 14

Reposted by Summer Rose Austin

Chiara Bonacchi @chiara-bonacchi.bsky.social · Sep 1

'ChatGPT’s interpretation of contested memoryscapes favours the voice of current governments, capitalism and the far-right'. Our new article, led by Tania Gonzáles Cantera, is out. It is an outcome of Tania's visit to the #HeritageMindsLab @hcaatedinburgh.bsky.social last yr doi.org/10.1080/1352...

ChatGPT’s interpretation of contested memoryscapes favours the voice of current governments, capitalism and the far-right

This study examines political biases in ChatGPT-4o’s interpretations of memoryscapes linked to dictatorial regimes in Spanish-speaking countries. Using a least-to-most prompting model and a Discour...

doi.org

2 17 23

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Sep 1

On top of the valid points made by Morgan, this is an example of broadcasting a list of sites exact locations without protections in place, literally providing potential looters a map to sites that are not protected. All as a publicity stunt. #dobetter

Morgan L Ventura (Dr Hilary M V Leathem) @morganvl.bsky.social · Aug 31

This makes me uncomfortable. Not only is this a question of ethics & respect, but perhaps these two archaeologists should ask themselves WHY a tech titan from Meta would want to locate heritage sites in resource-rich, Indigenous regions like the Amazon.

www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...

Where should archaeologists dig next? The winners of this OpenAI contest can tell them.

Archeological sites, like those in the Amazon, are disappearing faster than we can find them. Can AI help?

www.nationalgeographic.com

1 8

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Aug 29

Auction houses, dealers, eBay…any and all of it is suspect.

1 10

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Aug 27

www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/08/27/f...

France returns three human skulls to Madagascar—including one that may have belonged to a king

The restitution is the first to take place under a 2023 French law on the return of human remains

www.theartnewspaper.com

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Aug 1

The Met using its go to line of “you never owned it anyway” to not return something, even to the Rolling Stones 😂

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Aug 1

Representatives for Mick Taylor, the Rolling Stones’ former guitarist, said a Les Paul guitar was stolen from him decades ago. The instrument ended up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, who says Taylor never owned the guitar and has not made a claim.

A Former Rolling Stone Says the Met Has His Lost Guitar. The Museum Says No Way.

Representatives for Mick Taylor, the Rolling Stones’ former guitarist, said the Les Paul was stolen from him decades ago. The museum says he never owned it and has not made a claim.

nyti.ms

2 8

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Aug 1

www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/08/01/a...

Ancient treasures stolen in Dutch museum heist may yet be saved

Prosecutors have revealed evidence that suggests three golden armbands and a €4.3 million helmet—belonging to the Dacian civilisation—have not been melted down

www.theartnewspaper.com

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Jul 25

Finally, for more on how the Tut-effect impacts the il/licit market for Egyptian antiquities, see my doctoral research which I will be submitting in a matter of weeks!

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Jul 25

Anytime something is linked to the “time of Tut”, that object skyrockets in market value. This publicity around the grasshopper is bound to increase its sale price.

Was This Artifact From King Tut’s Tomb? It’s for Sale Anyway. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/a...

Was This Artifact From King Tut’s Tomb? It’s for Sale Anyway.

www.nytimes.com

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Jul 22

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Trump pulls US out of Unesco in blow for UN culture and education agency

White House cites Unesco’s focus on ‘divisive social and cultural causes’ in latest withdrawal from global bodies

www.theguardian.com

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Jul 22

www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/07/22/b...

British woman agrees to return stolen Renaissance painting to Italian museum

Barbara de Dozsa had previously argued that she owned the painting as the limit for claims had passed

www.theartnewspaper.com

2 2

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Jul 16

Amazing, thanks!

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Jul 16

Do you mind sharing the link to this report? I'm doing something on science as provenance and would love more examples of bad uses of science for authentication.

2 2

Reposted by Summer Rose Austin

Museums Association @museumsassociation.org · Jul 15

News | Man charged after glass case holding Stone of Scone is broken – ‘no damage’ to artefact after incident forced @perthmuseum.bsky.social to evacuate visitors

Man charged after glass case holding Stone of Scone is broken - Museums Association

‘No damage’ to artefact after incident forced Perth Museum to evacuate visitors

www.museumsassociation.org

2 7

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Jul 15

The presence of the mosaic in Germany only came to light after the relatives of the deceased contacted Italy’s Carabinieri cultural heritage protection squad in Rome and asked how to return it to the Italian state.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Erotic mosaic stolen by Nazi captain in second world war returned to Pompeii

Wehrmacht officer gave relic to German citizen whose family contacted Italian heritage officials after his death

www.theguardian.com

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Jun 26

Concerns around loans from private collections meeting the new regulations standards and how that could impact museum loans; however, if private owners can't prove good-title than it shouldn't be shown in a museum anyway
www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/06/26/w...

Why a new EU antiquities law aimed at stopping antiquities trafficking may hamper museum loans

While loans between museums are exempt from the additional requirements for proof of legal export from the country of origin and provenance documentation, those from private collectors will be affecte...

www.theartnewspaper.com

1 1

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Jun 23

Anyone that knows me, knows how obsessed I am with crimes related to musical instruments. My first publications looked at the different types of motivation around rare violin theft and the very personal impacts of such a crime. I hope the musician is reunited with their instrument soon!

1 1

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · Jun 23

My heart breaks for this violinist 🎻

www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

Police hunt ‘thief’ after £150,000 violin vanishes from pub

A musician from the London Philharmonic Orchestra said his ‘heart exploded’ when the instrument, made in 1740, went missing

www.thetimes.com

1 1

Reposted by Summer Rose Austin

ArtReview @artreview.bsky.social · Jun 3

250 members of staff at the British Museum have written to the institution’s leadership criticising the decision to hire its galleries to the Israeli embassy in London artreview.com/british-muse...

British Museum staffers in revolt over Israeli corporate hire

250 members of staff have criticised decision to host Israeli embassy event

artreview.com

10 12

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · May 28

I mostly post about heritage related issues but this is an incredibly insightful read about the normalisation of atrocities and the need to stay informed and vigilant:

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/28/o...

Opinion | Beware: We Are Entering a New Phase of the Trump Era

www.nytimes.com

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · May 22

👏👏👏 This is an excellent read and a much needed counter to the absolute out of touch drivel that the BM's newest director was spouting in their recent interview with The Times. Museums have a responsibility to explain the realities of their collections 👏👏👏 www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/05/22/a...

Are museums ‘guilt tripping’ their visitors? No, they aren’t doing enough

Engaging with the difficult histories behind objects has deepened, not dampened, my experiences at cultural institutions—and the fact it is different for everyone is a good thing

www.theartnewspaper.com

4 7

Reposted by Summer Rose Austin

Jens Notroff @jensnotroff.com · May 16

Full house: Exploitation of #Indigenous land and destruction of #CulturalHeritage, all spiced up with a pinch of cultural chauvinism that calls into question #Aboriginal authorship of these sites in the first place ...

🏺 www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05... via @abcaustralia.bsky.social

Aboriginal relics 'squashed' by golf course developer, court hears

A company with an exclusive lease to develop a golf course on public land near Hobart has been accused in court of "squashing" Aboriginal relics into the ground.

www.abc.net.au

1 20 39

Summer Rose Austin @summeraustin.bsky.social · May 9

Oops 😬

The New York Times @nytimes.com · May 9

A British art dealer who appeared on a BBC antiques show pleaded guilty to selling artworks to a suspected financier for Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group.

U.K. Antiques Show Expert Admits Selling Art to Suspected Hezbollah Financier

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Summer Rose Austin

Luise Loges @luilog.bsky.social · May 8

Moreover, what can students in Iraq learn from these antiquities? I assume nothing, because they don't get to engage with them. It is much easier to get Iraqi antiquities into the US (or UK, or anywhere in Europe), than Iraqi researchers.

1 1 11