Archaeologist: "Osthoff's work is of immense importance" - but why is she then put under so much pressure? Possibly this is the reason:
There is a financially powerful lobby behind this, which makes money from looted goods from illegal excavations and openly threatens the loss of German jobs if the laws become stricter.
Archaeology is just not in vogue, so you can't motivate anyone - so go for it. Does someone say that the Red Cross should stay away from Iraq? Does anyone demand that other aid organizations withdraw? No. Susanne Osthoff has - in addition to her commitment against looting and thus the destruction of invaluable archaeological finds - also provided humanitarian aid. She knows her risk - which she is willing to take. In Germany, it is too easy for politicians to distance themselves from this. No one will cause a scandal because of a crazy archaeologist ...
Further information on the topic (and a series of links) can be found at sagichdoch.