Hot this week: Hard to tell from Belize. A truncated try at a newsletter from the field.
“They will be looking for it!”: Little boy’s story
Posted on 17 July 2014
After chatting to some kids about how fast ice melts and the proper way to not be eaten by bears or wolves, a little boy told me this story.
“It’s sad because something beautiful was destroyed”: Bus stop story
Posted on 16 July 2014
I heard this while waiting for a bus on the Western Highway. I let two buses pass talking to this guy.
Culture crime news 07–13 July 2014
Posted on 14 July 2014
Hot this week: Iraq…and Iraq again. Don’t believe all the news you read, but do be worried.
Hollywood’s ancient Maya: illegal movie footage as trafficked cultural property?
Posted on 13 July 2014
Illegal filming at Mexican archaeological sites carries stiff penalties, as some filmmakers may soon find out.
What we’ve lost: 2 stories of the Maya Buenavista vase
Posted on 12 July 2014
In this post I will present two stories about one Maya vase: what we would have thought if the vase was looted and what we know because it wasn’t.
Lost cities and looted tombs: Studying artifact smuggling in Belize
Posted on 11 July 2014
This year I am in the Central American jungle conducting fieldwork on artifact smuggling in Belize.
Culture crime news 30 June–06 July 2014
Posted on 7 July 2014
Hot this week: After over 40 years, and after some surprising plot twists, the Motunui panels returned to New Zealand.
Ransoms and Repatriations: the Maori Motunui panels
Posted on 5 July 2014
Hidden in 1800s by Māori fleeing war, 5 carved panels were smuggled
Maya artefacts and Mexican bandits: trafficking tall tales
Posted on 1 July 2014
A most unbelievable story of a looted (or fake) Maya book and mask.
Heading to Belize for preliminary fieldwork: a call for info
Posted on 30 June 2014
I’m heading to Belize to look into antiquities trafficking. Who who should I speak with?
Culture crime news 23–29 June 2014
Posted on 30 June 2014
Hot this week: The MFA Boston returns (a very small number of) objects to Nigeria.