Download PDF Finders Keepers A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession Craig Childs 9780316066464 Books
Download As PDF : Finders Keepers A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession Craig Childs 9780316066464 Books
Renowned naturalist Craig Childs explores the paradoxical nature of anthropological excavation amongst the Native American ruins his work is based upon.
Download PDF Finders Keepers A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession Craig Childs 9780316066464 Books
"Two memories came to mind as I made my way through this readable but difficult book: (1) Seeing the work of screwball relic hunters who had dug tiles out of Tom Cruise's star on Hollywood Boulevard, apparently seeking some intimate souvenir of their obsession; (2) member of my immediate and extended family showing off arrowheads they'd found in the Idaho desert lands. It's tempting and too easy to say that one was a nobler, less destructive activity than the other, but both were attempts to take possession of something larger than life, to own a piece of history.
Though not a direct sequel to "House of Rain," Craig Childs does return to that territory (as well as Tibet, Central America, and St. Laurence Island) to examine what's been going on with what's been unearthed, and the stories are neither pretty nor black & white/good vs. evil. Balanced against stories of shameless pot hunters and relic poachers are accounts of both professional and self-declared archeologists removing the past from its moorings. But where do we draw the line between legitimate removal (for preservation and/or academic purposes) and removal simply to possess something for whatever intangible power or value we see in it? Where is the line between preservation and destruction?
Childs avoids the pitfalls of caricature and easy answers. His writing is lively and his stories engrossing, which makes the dilemmas that much more heartwrenching. Though he obviously favors the repatriation of artifacts to their home turf, he is also cognizant that that may not always be best choice or even possible, calling into question his own act of "guerilla repatriation" that opens the book.
"Some people just can't leave a big fish alone," a game warden once told me in regard to a protected stream she was watching. The same could be said of our ancient heritage. Childs asks to us to consider the proposition that we have "enough." It's up to all of us to decide. This book makes the case for it; it is one of the most compelling and moral books you will ever read."
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Tags : Finders Keepers A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession [Craig Childs] on . <div>Renowned naturalist Craig Childs explores the paradoxical nature of anthropological excavation amongst the Native American ruins his work is based upon.</div><div> </div> To whom does the past belong? Is the archeologist who discovers a lost tomb a sort of hero--or a villain? If someone steals a relic from a museum and returns it to the ruin it came from,Craig Childs,Finders Keepers A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession,Back Bay Books,031606646X,Ancient - General,Antiquities;Collection and preservation;Moral and ethical aspects.,Archaeology;Moral and ethical aspects.,Cultural property;Protection;Moral and ethical aspects.,ANCIENT ARCHAEOLOGY,ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE SCIENCE,Antiquities,Archaeology,Archaeology / Anthropology,Collection and preservation,Cultural property,GENERAL,General Adult,HISTORY / Ancient / General,History,History/World,History World,Moral and ethical aspects,Non-Fiction,Protection,SOCIAL SCIENCE / Archaeology,United States,archaeological treasures; pot hunters; professional archaeologists; museum curators; moral issues; potsherds; pothunters; petroglyph; utah; geology; arrowheads; situ; repatriation; 6th; looters; diggers; maine; archeologists; artefacts; provenance; southwestern; antiquities; pots; archeology; relics; preservation; museums; ethics; united states; civilizations ruins world ancient; collection collectors private; historical sites,archaeological treasures; pot hunters; professional archaeologists; museum curators; moral issues; potsherds; pothunters; petroglyph; utah; geology; arrowheads; situ; repatriation; 6th; looters; diggers; maine; archeologists; artefacts; provenance; southwestern; antiquities; pots; archeology; relics; preservation; museums; ethics; united states; civilizations ruins world ancient; collection collectors private; historical sites;,HISTORY / Ancient / General,SOCIAL SCIENCE / Archaeology,Archaeology / Anthropology,Ancient Archaeology,Archaeological Site Science,Antiquities,Collection and preservation,Cultural property,Moral and ethical aspects,Protection,History,History World,Archaeology
Finders Keepers A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession Craig Childs 9780316066464 Books Reviews :
Finders Keepers A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession Craig Childs 9780316066464 Books Reviews
- Keep in mind that this is not a book about archeology, grave robbery, cultural heritage preservation etc. This is a book about author and his philosophy, which is not well defined ("no simple answers").
Maybe he decided that it was necessary to cement toghether heap of essays and articles but as a result half of the book is dedicated to "I looked long and hard on the basket/axe/pot/arrowhead and started to think who was helding it before and who will be holding it after". Pity, since the other part of the book is interesting but there is simply not enough of it. - I’m still reading Child’s book on the looting trade that is rampant now in the southwest and elsewhere. I first heard about it talking to an archeologist about looting after I found a potsherd in Chaco canyon, took a picture of it, and then put the shred back where I found it. I got s nice thank you for doing so. The archeologist saw me do it while I was on a walk through the park. I found the book to read more about all of this, and it’s both scary and shock. It reminds me of drug cartels, and these looting rings can be just as ruthless. Child’s peppers his book with both personal experiences and the brutal truth of all of this. It’s a fascinating read so far, but scary. I hope I never run into one of these people while exploring the southwest.
- This is an outstanding read for everyone, not just people interested in archeology. Childs explores the reasons we are compelled to collect artifacts, from the personal level to the institutional level, even when many of them are absolutely meaningless. He brings up important issues about storage of artifacts, the laws surrounding what we can have and can't, and the biggest one, I think, should we leave them in situ or squirrel them away in a private collection of institution storage facility where they may never be seen again.
An excellent book on a subject that needs to be reassessed and revamped with an eye to what we are collecting and why.
Seriously folks, do we really need thousands of Native human remains stuffed into cardboard boxes on a shelf no one even remembers is there? - Chllds takes you by the hand, guides you through the southwestern country like a tour guide. He writes about all the archaeology, in terms that are easily understood by even a novice. He takes you into the areas of the destruction caused by the "pot hunters", who tear into historical native American sites, for either profit or collections. He talks about the total destruction they leave behind, including the human graves that are dug up and scattered.
He also asks the question if the professional archaeologists are part of the destruction of the early Native American civilizations. With our storage and displays of the artifacts in museums throughout the nation, are we really serving our nation with the history of these early peoples. There a huge storage facilities that a filled to the maximum with these treasurers from sites all over our nation. Thousands of these items will never be studied or put on display for people to see. Is this theft as well? - What a find! Loved this read of what has become a favorite haunt, the SE corner of UT. Wandered into Bluff on a Motorcycle trip 8 years ago and keep going back. Always thought this area was just a collection of sleepy little towns in old Indian country. Had no idea of the intrigue and anti-govt. feelings, perhaps justified. Also the start of Haydukes infamous chase scene in the Monkey Wrench Gang. Well written and highly recommend to anyone interested in the SW.
- Two memories came to mind as I made my way through this readable but difficult book (1) Seeing the work of screwball relic hunters who had dug tiles out of Tom Cruise's star on Hollywood Boulevard, apparently seeking some intimate souvenir of their obsession; (2) member of my immediate and extended family showing off arrowheads they'd found in the Idaho desert lands. It's tempting and too easy to say that one was a nobler, less destructive activity than the other, but both were attempts to take possession of something larger than life, to own a piece of history.
Though not a direct sequel to "House of Rain," Craig Childs does return to that territory (as well as Tibet, Central America, and St. Laurence Island) to examine what's been going on with what's been unearthed, and the stories are neither pretty nor black & white/good vs. evil. Balanced against stories of shameless pot hunters and relic poachers are accounts of both professional and self-declared archeologists removing the past from its moorings. But where do we draw the line between legitimate removal (for preservation and/or academic purposes) and removal simply to possess something for whatever intangible power or value we see in it? Where is the line between preservation and destruction?
Childs avoids the pitfalls of caricature and easy answers. His writing is lively and his stories engrossing, which makes the dilemmas that much more heartwrenching. Though he obviously favors the repatriation of artifacts to their home turf, he is also cognizant that that may not always be best choice or even possible, calling into question his own act of "guerilla repatriation" that opens the book.
"Some people just can't leave a big fish alone," a game warden once told me in regard to a protected stream she was watching. The same could be said of our ancient heritage. Childs asks to us to consider the proposition that we have "enough." It's up to all of us to decide. This book makes the case for it; it is one of the most compelling and moral books you will ever read.
