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RESEARCH
ANCHISE Research Results
ANCHISE's research addresses cultural heritage trafficking as a complex social, economic and technological challenge.
The project combines social sciences research with technology evaluation and field experimentation, generating knowledge that informs both innovative tools and policy recommendations.
1. Understanding Trafficking Networks and Contexts
Understanding why and how cultural heritage is looted and trafficked is a prerequisite to fighting it effectively. ANCHISE investigated the social, economic and institutional dimensions of illicit trafficking through international symposia, comparative fieldwork and national case studies. The project's research programme brought together archaeologists, criminologists, legal scholars and law enforcement professionals to map trafficking mechanisms, from looting at source to the laundering of objects through fabricated provenance on the legal art market. A dedicated case study in Greece assessed ANCHISE's impact on one of Europe's oldest heritage protection systems, while original comparative research on metal detecting practices in France and Greece provided new empirical evidence on an emerging European challenge.
Key Findings
Fabricated provenance remains the primary mechanism enabling looted objects to enter
the legal market undetected
Conflict zones continue to fuel supply, with trafficking networks adapting rapidly to
geopolitical instability
Comparative fieldwork on metal detecting in France and Greece revealed shared challenges despite contrasting regulatory cultures
20+ international experts contributed to ANCHISE's landmark publication on trafficking dynamics
2. Technology Evaluation and Adoption
Before developing new tools, ANCHISE conducted a large-scale assessment of existing technologies, tools and methods (TTMs) available for combating illicit trafficking. Led by The Cyprus Institute, this evaluation identified strengths and gaps in current solutions through user- centric surveys and a rigorous criteria matrix based on ISO/IEC 25010 standards.
In parallel, the project designed a structured methodology for testing its own toolkit in real-world conditions. Nine demonstrations across three operational environments (archaeological sites, museums and border controls) were planned in close consultation with end-users. This bottom-up approach ensured that tool development was driven by practitioners; actual needs rather than technological assumptions, and that adoption pathways were built into the process from the start.
Key Findings
The ISO/IEC 25010 framework was adapted for the first time to evaluate cultural
heritage protection technologies
User surveys revealed that integration between tools matters more than individual tool
sophistication
9 demonstrations across 6 countries tested tools in airports, harbours, museums and
archaeological sites
163 professionals provided structured feedback through three iterative evaluation
phases
3. User Feedback and Field Experimentation
ANCHISE adopted an iterative evaluation process: tools were tested, assessed by practitioners, refined, and tested again across three demonstration phases. This feedback loop, rather than a single final evaluation, is at the heart of the project's bottom-up methodology. 163 professionals from law enforcement, museums and archaeology evaluated the toolkit through standardised questionnaires and focus groups in Greece, Bulgaria, France, Sweden, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Italy. The process revealed a clear trajectory: initial enthusiasm in Phase I, critical operational scrutiny in Phase II, and renewed confidence in Phase III as tools matured in response to user input. A dedicated replicability study then assessed whether these tools and methods could be successfully transferred to other European and Mediterranean contexts.
Key Findings
Tools that incorporated user feedback between phases achieved their highest scores in
the final round of testing
Users shifted from evaluating innovation potential to demanding operational readiness, a
sign of growing engagement
Mixed methods (quantitative scoring + focus groups) proved essential to capture both
measurable performance and strategic adoption concerns
Replicability depends not only on technical readiness but on institutional capacity, legal
frameworks and sustainable support mechanisms
4. Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer
Sustainable heritage protection requires more than tools, it requires trained communities, institutional networks and long-term frameworks. ANCHISE invested significantly in mapping the stakeholder ecosystem, developing training resources and designing exploitation pathways toensure its results outlive the project. A comprehensive stakeholder mapping identified the key actors across law enforcement, museums, archaeology, the art market and policy-making. Tailored training guidelines were developed for five professional communities, from half-day awareness sessions to full semester university modules. An exploitation and sustainability plan assessed business models, intellectual property strategies and institutional conditions for continued tool deployment. Together, these outputs provide a replicable blueprint for building and maintaining interdisciplinary capacity in cultural heritage protection across Europe.
Key Findings
Training needs differ sharply across communities: law enforcement officers, museum
professionals and archaeologists each require distinct pedagogical approaches
Sustainability depends on institutional anchoring: tools need governance frameworks,
not just technical maintenance
The stakeholder mapping identified actors across the full chain, from source countries to
market destinations, enabling targeted engagement
The project's exploitation plan lays the groundwork for a proposed European
Competence Centre for cultural heritage protection