50 years of stolen artifacts collected

[dumster]

"50 years of stolen artifacts collected
Most will be returned or re-buried

Updated: Tuesday, 01 Mar 2011, 7:58 AM MST
Published : Monday, 28 Feb 2011, 10:20 PM MST

* Reporter: Alex Tomlin

ALBUQUERQUE, NM {KRQE} - It took an amateur archeologist 50 years to plunder it, but now dozens of ancient artifacts are in the government’s hands, with plans to put them back where they belong."

50 years of stolen artifacts collected | Albuquerque, NM | KRQE News 13 New Mexico

[Ryno]

" items that cannot be returned will be put in museums".... oh,
So all the good stuff will go to the museums...

[Gibby]

Only 6 months house arrest for 50 years of breaking the law. Seems like he got a pretty good deal out of it.

[eddies]

good point ryno

[Indianasmith]

Could this article have been worded in a more inflammatory and one-sided fashion? There was no pretense of objectivity. This guy carefully collected for 50 years, kept the stuff together, took notes of provenance - in short, did everything a professional archeologist does except publish his findings. Now he is a convicted criminal, and the relics are going back into the ground - where they will rot, unseen and unappreciated, until someone from a more enlightened generation unearths them and is allowed to keep and appreciate, or at least display and curate them.
FIFTY YEARS? In other words, most of his collecting activity was pre-ARPA and pre-NAGPRA. He was simply guilty of keeping up his old habits after the law declared them criminal. Sorry, I think this gentleman was more sinned against than sinning.

[Kat]

I am more disturbed by a museum curator being quoted as saying, "'When you buy prehistoric pots you encourage people to go out and go dig up more prehistoric pots,' said Phillips." To my understanding, hefty portions of most museums' collections are bought from or donated from private collections. Many museums sell off portions of their collections to raise funds to buy other collections or curate and preserve the ones they have or simply cover operating costs. To imply the market for antiquities is somehow immoral or unethical is to imply that ownership of any part of the past should be criminal. Unless by a publicly controlled structure such as a university or government institution....? An attitude that completely stifles academic freedom and independent investigations....by a museum curator? Who may benefit from the parts of his collection that will be donated...to museums....?

Kat

[Mojave]

Kat, ummm,....

That link was a joke

[Trask]

This gets under my skin too as it simply perpetuates a number of myths amongst the public that not only hurt the collecting community but by virtue of demonizing legitimate collectors, the archeological community has seen a marked decline in knowledge that once freely flowed from private minds to public circles.
I also disagree with the Curator comparing the theft of the "constitution" from the "National archives" to what this collector did...not even kinda close...That should be concluded by his sentencing...Would a fellow who stole the Constitution be simply sentenced to "House Arrest?"
We need some better Brains and brighter minds for future interviews...

[joshuaream]

I think collectors need to becareful about where we draw the line regarding who we support...

I won't argue the merit of his pre-ARPA and pre-NAGPRA collecting habits, but once these laws passed he had more than ample time to know that his digging days on public land needed to come to an end. If he wanted to continue he could do what Fenn did and just buy a big site on private land.

To me there is a clear difference between casually finding a point on public land and not fearing prosecution, and digging up graves... The case with Amick and the other guys to me is clearly very different than this one.

[Kat]

Please don't misunderstand - picking up on public land is illegal. Period. Digging is not legal either. Laws apply to the law abiding - punishments apply to those who choose not to be law abiding. Changing a law is for politicians. My problem is a museum curator who seems to be suggesting that ownership of antiquities fosters disregard for the law. Should have stayed in the basement ....and wrong link - When museums have to sell art and artifacts | Auction Finds

Though there are many such examples
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/ar...n/06sales.html
Kat