The ease of archaeological discoveries in the Middle East is exploited by black-market dealers, criminal gangs and ISIL.
![A 3,400-year-old statue recently discovered by a seven-year old boy in the Bet She''an Valley, Israel [EPA]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/b1b9628658e14fb2bda4c958af632ce9_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
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With most other tombs looted in antiquity by grave-robbers, the prospect of finding new treasure is tantalising.
![An interior view of the King Tutankhamun burial chamber in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt [EPA]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a6d62db9ad2f4d3cbe96b49f0e2c0bce_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
The engagement of local communities is integral to the protection of cultural heritage in Syria, Iraq, and beyond.
