<< Feature Articles >> Stolen Prehistoric Pottery From Museum
Submitted by partlow on Sunday, 20 March 2005 Page Views: 1751
MuseumsThis article was published over the net by my old association, the Anthropology Department of the University of Alabama system. The theft is an old one, but the artifacts are still floating around. Possibly anywhere and everywhere would be a good place to expect them. In order to avoid confusion, the artifacts mentioned as being shown with the article can be viewed by clicking the links shown below."Stolen Pottery Vessels from Moundville
We are here posting illustrations and descriptions of a large collection of pottery vessels stolen from Moundville Archaeological Park. Our hope is that someone will recognize these pots, and that they will be returned.
Links here and here
A very large number of pottery vessels, 264 in all, were stolen during a 1980 break-in at the Erskine Ramsay Archaeological Repository at Moundville. The vessels, missing ever since, include many of the highest-quality specimens ever excavated at Moundville. Despite an investigation by the F.B.I. and publication of notices in the Journal of Field Archaeology, none of the artifacts have been recovered to date.
This was certainly one of the most significant antiquities thefts ever to occur in the southern states. The magnitude of the theft has left an alarming gap in Alabama's Native American heritage. These pots were one-fifth of the entire Moundville vessel collection curated by the Alabama Museum of Natural History. More than that, the thieves high-graded the collection, stealing approximately 70 percent of the exhibit-quality specimens as opposed to the less fancy items.
With the availability of the internet it is now possible to distribute these photographs much more widely than was previously feasible. Also, Native American pottery vessels are now routinely sold in internet auctions. These can be monitored by a public aware of this 20-year old crime and the great need to reunite these rare artifacts with the citizens of Alabama and the South.
If you have information as to the whereabouts of stolen vessels, please contact
Dr. Vernon James Knight at 205-348-5947 or The Office of Archaeological Research at 205-371-2266.
Anonymous Tip Line - 205-371-8721.
We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.