IL TRAFFICO ILLECITO DEI REPERTI ARCHEOLOGICI. IL RUOLO DELLE MAFIE E DEI PROFESSIONISTI.

This research, through case studies and a comparative approach, analyzed the illicit trafficking of archaeological artifacts in Calabria, Campania, and Sicily during the first two decades of the 2000s, exploring two main issues: the involvement of mafias and the role of external actors, particularly professionals. The study aimed to address these questions through the analysis of seven case studies, employing two methods: crime script analysis (CSA) and interviews. The findings revealed different levels of mafia involvement: in some cases, their participation was highly active, while in others, it was marginal or even absent. The research investigated the possible reasons for this apparent detachment, suggesting two main hypotheses: on the one hand, mafias may adopt a strategy of “passive mafia welfare”; on the other, their visible absence could result from the limited detection of their interactions with other actors involved in trafficking. Moreover, the study highlighted that even in regions with a historical mafia presence, mafias are only one of several actors operating within a complex system that includes intermediaries, retailers, and facilitators, experts who provide essential technical and relational skills for the functioning of the illicit market, the continuity of trafficking, and the connection between the legal and illegal spheres. This approach has contributed to moving beyond a mafia-centric perspective, offering a broader understanding of the dynamics of illicit trafficking in archaeological artifacts.