I am disturbed by Gary Vikan’s piece, “The Case For Buying Antiquities To Save Them.” What Mr. Vikan proposes is dangerous. Allowing museums to purchase antiquities to “save” them undermines the principles of due diligence aimed at excluding loot from museum collections. By allowing these institutions to accept or purchase unprovenanced antiquities, museums will increase the demand for illicit goods. Allowing irresponsible collecting practices creates a free pass for museums to acquire objects from war-torn regions. Where should we draw the line?

For decades, museums acquired illicit objects, and the system proposed by Mr. Vikan allows museums to openly do so. Trade in illicitly acquired artifacts is a demand-driven crime fueled by buyers. This is unacceptable; museums are the stewards of art and heritage and shouldn’t be contributing to the black market and incentivizing destruction.

And although Mr. Vikan questions whether antiquities fund ISIS, there has been a well-documented increase in the number of antiquities from Syria and Iraq traded on the international market. The massive increase in supply of antiquities from war-torn regions, as reported by US Customs, indicates that at least a significant portion of these objects were illegally excavated. The destruction of artifacts in the Middle East should not be used as an excuse for Western nations to acquire black market goods.