Why this exists
Looting and illicit trafficking destroy context (the thing that makes evidence meaningful) and can endanger communities and sites. Our policies are designed to reduce that risk while keeping research and debate alive.
Protect sites from harm
We limit sensitive location disclosures because publicizing exact site locations can lead to harm, theft, or destruction. Many heritage frameworks explicitly allow withholding location data when harm could result.
Protect evidence integrity
Archaeological ethics emphasize stewardship and accountability: the record is irreplaceable, and research should support long-term protection. Provenance isn’t bureaucracy — it’s the chain-of-custody of truth.
Protect people
We don’t host doxxing, harassment, or calls to action that target individuals. Field content that encourages trespass or dangerous access is restricted. Truth-seeking does not require reckless endangerment.
Heritage protection rules
This is the “anti-looting layer”: rules for what you can publish, how locations are handled, and what gets removed.
Don’t publish “how-to” content for accessing restricted areas, bypassing gates, night routes, hidden entrances, or any operational detail that materially increases the chance of theft or vandalism.
We may reduce location precision or withhold coordinates when disclosure could lead to harm, theft, or destruction. This is a standard heritage-protection practice.
Don’t encourage removing artifacts, digging, scraping, or “just taking a sample.” If you found something, document it responsibly and report via proper channels.
Uploads presented as primary evidence must include provenance metadata (who/when/where/how obtained) and citations where applicable. Otherwise, it stays labeled as unverified.
Ethics backbone
Our stance is aligned with widely used archaeological ethics frameworks emphasizing stewardship, accountability, and preservation of the record. We also treat illicit trafficking as a serious harm to cultural heritage.
Location confidentiality (plain language)
If a post contains details that could enable theft or destruction, we reduce precision or remove the operational detail. In some jurisdictions, agencies explicitly limit archaeological site location disclosure unless it won’t cause harm.
Field safety
Curiosity is great. Gravity is undefeated. Use this as a baseline for safer research behavior when traveling, hiking, or documenting ruins.
Permission & legality
Don’t trespass. Respect closures, permits, and local laws. “But it’s on the internet” isn’t permission. If a site is restricted, document from legal vantage points or use published sources.
Don’t enter unstable structures
Avoid tunnels, caves, shafts, collapsed rooms, and cliff-edge platforms unless you are trained and authorized. Structural failure + poor exits is a classic “headline-shaped” combination.
Do no harm
No climbing fragile masonry, no scraping surfaces, no “chalk marking,” no moving stones, no removing anything. Leave no trace, and treat conservation as part of research.
Minimal safety checklist
- Go with a buddy (or leave a clear itinerary with someone who can escalate if you don’t return).
- Bring water, headlamp, power bank, weather layer, basic first aid.
- Check local conditions (heat, storms, flash floods, wildfire smoke).
- Don’t enter confined spaces without training + proper gear.
- Keep a respectful distance from edges, cliffs, and unstable stone piles.
Respect communities
- Some sites have sacred/indigenous protocols. Follow them.
- Don’t publish people’s faces or private property details without consent.
- When in doubt: ask local authorities or stewards — or don’t publish.
Report a heritage or safety risk
If you see looting enablement, sensitive-location leaks, threats, or dangerous “field instructions,” report it. Faster reports = less harm.
Founding Access
Help us tune the safety stack: redaction defaults, disclosure gating, reporting flows, and public receipts. Founding Access ships in waves.