Archaeologists and historians may be worried about the effects that tomb robbers have on the practice of their trade today, though this phenomenon has been going on for much longer than most might think. Ever since ancient times, when things got hard it was often the habit of the desperate and poor to target the tombs of the better-off as a source of income. During particularly rough periods, the ruling governments would have few resources to devote toward maintaining their customary guard over these sites and consequently there would be little to stand in the way of thieves.
