▁of ▁the ▁prov isions ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁Law ▁seemed ▁reasonable , ▁enfor cing ▁the ▁law ▁was ▁virt ually ▁impossible . ▁The ▁exp anse ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ▁was ▁too ▁great ▁that ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁government ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁enough ▁officials ▁to ▁over see ▁and ▁implement ▁the ▁law . ▁Chapter ▁I ▁Article ▁ 8 ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁Law ▁specifically ▁prohib ited ▁the ▁export ing ▁of ▁artifact s ▁without ▁the ▁permission ▁of ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Museum . ▁Even ▁with ▁this ▁provision , ▁many ▁foreign ▁arch ae ological ▁miss ions ▁continued ▁export ing ▁through ▁a ▁complex ▁sm ugg ling ▁network ▁that ▁linked ▁Jordan , ▁Leb anon , ▁Palest ine , ▁and ▁Sy ria . ▁These ▁sm ugg ling ▁networks ▁still ▁exist ▁today . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁came ▁the ▁British ▁Mand ate ▁Period , ▁which ▁is ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Golden ▁Age ▁of ▁Arch ae ology . ▁It ▁made ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁modern - day ▁Israel ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁active ▁cent ers ▁of ▁exc av ation ▁and ▁arch ae ological ▁research ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁British ▁Government ▁en act ed ▁the ▁Anti qu ities ▁Pro clam ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁which ▁served ▁to ▁recognize ▁and ▁protect ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁the ▁regions ▁cultural ▁her itage . ▁Following ▁the ▁Anti qu ities ▁Pro clam ation ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁arch ae ology ▁and ▁arch ae ological ▁sites ▁took ▁on ▁a ▁more ▁legal ▁status ▁rather ▁than ▁religious ▁significance . ▁