Trafficking in cultural property: the AGLAE accelerator brings the material to life

2 Dec

CCI de Morlaix, 29600 Morlaix

A lecture organised as part of the ‘Mercredis de l’Espace des sciences’ series, featuring Thomas Calligaro, a heritage sciences researcher at the Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France (C2RMF), at the Louvre Palace in Paris. How can science reveal the secrets hidden within works of art and heritage objects? The Centre for Research and Restoration of French Museums (C2RMF) is a national body dedicated to the study and conservation of public museum collections. It develops cutting-edge scientific methods to combat the illicit trade in works of art and archaeological artefacts. Among its tools is AGLAE, a particle accelerator unique in the world and dedicated to the study of cultural heritage. Its analyses can reveal crucial clues for identifying forgeries or authenticating objects. Thomas Calligaro will illustrate these methods through several ‘cold cases’ involving cultural heritage: from the detection of counterfeit archaeological artefacts within museum collections to the identification of objects looted in war zones and subsequently offered for sale.

Automatically translated

Listing provided by OT BAIE DE MORLAIX (updated by the source on 04/09/2026).

Tourist office data: DATAtourisme, Licence Ouverte (French open licence), updated 22 October 2026.