Italy has a long history of antiquities theft. For more than a hundred years, the national government has developed legal regulations and law enforcement mechanisms to combat that theft. The result is the “Italian model,” a robust system of cultural heritage protection that has inspired similar models across the globe. Why did the model evolve as it did? How effective is it today? And why are tomb robbers still active, despite the robust anti-looting system? This project takes a multi-layered historical approach to these questions by analyzing the structural and cultural relationship between tomb robbing, national identity, and cultural property. It draws on 19th and 20th century archival materials and interviews with tomb robbers, archaeologists, and government officials. Findings from the project are linked below. The next phase of work focuses on the unique socio-economic circumstances surrounding clandestine digging in the south of Italy.