|
 The
preservation of prehistoric ruins and the protection
of artifacts are becoming a major problem for law
enforcement agencies in the United States. Various
agencies are understaffed and it is often difficult
to get a conviction. The unlawful practice of
removing Pre-Columbian artifacts from public lands
has become so rampant during the past decade that
officials believe hundreds of ancient sites have
been seriously damaged or destroyed. This plunder of
public lands for profit by unscrupulous individuals
destroys the opportunity for professionals to study
and preserve these sites for future generations of
Americans.
Thousands of Pre-Columbian artifacts have been
excavated from public lands throughout the American
Southwest and sold on the international black market
for huge profits. The market for illegally obtained
artifacts is immense and continues to grow daily.
Some experts surmise this activity involves some one
hundred million dollars annually in the United
States alone.
The public lands of Arizona have become one the most
common sources of illegally obtained artifacts
appearing on the world market. Artifacts crafted by
early Salado, Hohokam and Anasazi cultures appear in
homes and businesses around the world. Europeans and
Asians will pay enormous prices for authentic
artifacts from the Southwest. The people who steal
from public lands steal from all of us while
destroying the archaeological history of the
Southwest.
The profit is so great in the illegal artifact trade
that many people become involved, believing it is a
good way to supplement their income. These same
individuals know detection by law enforcement
officials is a low risk. They also know the removal
of artifacts from public lands can result in heavy
fines and/or time in prison, but this knowledge does
not prevent them from breaking the law.
The illegal market involving the recovery,
transportation, distribution and sale of
Pre-Columbian artifacts is so large and lucrative
that modern pot hunters have become very
sophisticated in the use of modern communications
equipment. This knowledge and equipment helps them
safely remove valuable artifacts from numerous
regions in the Southwest. The pot diggers are so
bold they even use heavy equipment for excavation.
 Many
illegal artifact digs were done on lands easily
accessible to trucks and digging equipment
(backhoes) until recently. The accessible premium
sites have been exhausted in many areas and now even
the most inaccessible sites have become prime
targets for the “thieves of time” because of the
escalating values of artifacts. Certain single pots
can be worth ten to thirty thousand dollars on the
black market in Europe or the Orient.
Artifact hunters now use ATVs and motorcycles to
access extremely remote areas. A solo excavator
works alone in extremely remote regions that require
several hours of walking to reach. These thieves
preserve the secret of their work site like a
prospector protects his mine. One pot could bring
them enough money to cover three months of hard work
in town.
Desert pot digging is done at night in the summer
months usually under extreme conditions. ATVs, good
detection equipment, surplus military night scopes
and sophisticated communications equipment usually
prevents detection by law enforcement officials, so
law enforcement agencies often resort to undercover
operations to arrest and indict such individuals.
All law enforcement officials have the power to
enforce the antiquity act, however it is almost
impossible to patrol the remote area archeological
thieves work in.
The Superstition Wilderness Area, say some
archaeologists, is a treasure trove of Pre-Columbian
artifacts. The wilderness status in one way protects
the many Pre-Columbian archaeological sites in the
area, but on the other hand the status limits the
type of protection needed in some cases.
One classic case for the need of protection is the
cliff dwellings at Roger’s Canyon. I first observed
the ruin in 1948 with my father and the entire roof
of the ruin was intact except for the smoke hole on
our first visit. Today one third of the roof has
caved in because of visitors climbing on the ruin.
This cliff dwelling is one of the finest Salado
sites in Arizona that has never been reconstructed
by contemporary man. The Wilderness Act of 1964
prevents the placement of a steel grate over the
entrance of this ruin to prevent people from
entering it. This ruin will probably not survive
another hundred years without some kind of
intervention on our behalf. It is ironic that this
ruin has survived a thousand years until we arrived
on the landscape.
Many parts of the Superstition Wilderness fringe
area has been damaged by those who do not respect or
understand the importance of preserving or
protecting artifacts, petroglyphs and ruins. Once a
site has been damaged it is irreversibly destroyed.
It is tragic to see the amount of graffiti left
behind by visitors on many of the sites where
petrose can be found. Thieves have blasted away
petroglyphs trying to remove them for resale or
placement in their own yards.
The international market is the true focal point of
most illegal Pre-Columbian artifact sales. There
would be no market for this illegal practice if the
general public did not ignore the problem. It is so
tragic much of our prehistory in the Southwest is
being lost to the numerous illegal artifact dealers
worldwide.
The federal, state and county governments have
neither the resources nor manpower to enforce the
antiquity laws that protect our public lands from
desecration. The only hope we have of protecting our
public lands from these modern day vandals is
education. This education must encourage the public
to report any suspicious activity in remote areas
known to have Pre- Columbian sites.
The Pre-Columbian artifacts we save today may
someday unlock the secrets of our past and explain
what life was like in the desert Southwest a
thousand years ago. These archaeological secrets
have survived thousands of years, but in one century
modern man has destroyed an enormous amount of our
heritage. The heritage of this region found beneath
the ground is rapidly disappearing, not through
erosion, but by the greed of modern man.
Note: It is a violation of federal law to remove
artifacts from public lands. |
