Looters Pillaging Indian Mounds

[Bigcypresshunter]

Looters are digging gold beads, pottery, and relics from Palm Beach Indian sites..
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/lo...ar01,0,6947252.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

 

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[chefrider]

As much as I would like to have some of those artifacts I could not sleep at night , and you could bet I would try to get those people busted!

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

Big Cy,

Glad seeing that you are posting.

Hope everything is going well with your
recovery.

Not sure where I stand on this one, and many
others. Another archaeologist talking about
"a devastating loss for researchers."

"most sites have either been paved or plundered."

Don't know much about the area. But it may be the
same old story. Pave over for development and anything
that is left belongs to the archies. Not sure so don't
jump on me.

Don't know if these are open areas where folks are
finding things or actual sites that are protected.

"208 known archaeological sites"; in this area, so what
is going on with these sites? If they are so important
why are they not working them. Perhaps the same old
answer that funds are not available and, "some day"
we may look into them. In the mean time keep everyone
out, we don't want to destroy the "record."

I'm walking through the woods or swamps and pick
up an arrowhead or shard of some type and I'm
destroying the "record." I'm a "looter" if I'm not an
accredited archie.

More and more I'm thinking England is using a system
that seems to work. THEY DON'T JUST PUT THE ENTIRE
COUNTRYSIDE OFF LIMITS. They encourage folks to go
out and hunt. If you find something you turn it
in and it is inspected; if the national museums have
a copy they will not take it and it is yours, ; if they do
not have a copy they will pay you a fair price for the item,
(plus the land owner gets his cut also, which encourages
him into opening his lands and letting folks hunt).

Many sites are protected but the public is encouraged to
work other areas that are open and are know to contain
artifacts.

Not sure I'm getting my point across; your going to have
"looters" if everything is off limits. I'm a "looter" if I pick
the 12,899 example of something that they have 12,898
of sitting in some museum basements all boxed and locked up,
which the public will never see.

I'm not talking about folks digging up Indian graves and such. Something like that should be reported.

Cyp, if you know the area, what is your opinion?

all have a good un..........
SHERMANVILLE

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I dont know the area. This is on the East Coast in West Palm Beach County in a highly populated suburban area. Probably expensive private land. Horse ranches maybe. I dont dig untouched protected Indian Mounds and I am surprised that this article was published. Now everyone knows that the ancient Indians buried Spanish Gold in these mounds salvaged from seventeenth century shipwrecks, and the problem will get worse.

 

[Smee]

As much as I would like to have some of those artifacts I could not sleep at night , and you could bet I would try to get those people busted!

Very glad to see that most of the members here do have a conscience when it comes to these matters.

To those who only see the value of the loot they might find:

I'm not really sure, but I have heard that some white men and black men are buried with treasures such as jewelry, watches, even a couple I have read about were buried with guns, money, and even their favorite items: gold and silver. It is just waiting for someone to come and dig it up.

Would your burial grounds be considered good places to hunt for treasure, since we know that there is more buried there than in many Indian burial mounds? That would depend on how one views the those sacred grounds of the white men. Should we disturb those resting places over a small amount of valuables or precious metal?

Of course not, and neither should my peoples' resting places be disturbed for treasure hunting or for archaeological research.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

These are not all gravesites. Some of these mounds are simply trash heaps. They are on large ranch and farmland, near expensive suburban real estate, that will inevitably be developed. The Dade and Broward County mounds have simply been paved over. The extensive native Indian sites on Marco Island met the same fate. These inland Palm Beach sites are protected, but are not fenced off or guarded it appears. I think they need to dig up the trash heaps and recover what is in them, put them on display for all to see and learn. The gravesites are different and need to be protected. If they dont, a farmer is likely to "accidentally" bulldoze these sites so he can sell his land to developers. Some farmers I have heard are protecting their own mounds.
BCH

 

[Smee]

I should have put a disclaimer --- WARNING: PET PEEVE ADDRESSED ---

Sorry if I offended anyone, would never dream of actually doing anything like that --- but the archaeologists really piss me off by digging up my ancestors' resting places, and the other grave robbers are even worse!

Arkansas passed a law back in the 1980's making it illegal to excavate these mounds unless you are an authorized archaeologist ( I think even they should be banned from graverobbing ).

There are ways to determine what is a dump and what is a grave. If they want to dig a trash heap, go ahead. The thought of them digging around in trash we threw away as useless 200 or more ago years is funny to me . . . just leave great grandpa alone.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Understood. They may even protect the garbage heeps, I dont know. I think they would learn more by digging them up. (trash) We know so little about them. These Indians became extinct in the beginning of the 18th century.(1700's)

A little peeve of mine: If the Seminole Indian Tribe feels some kind of connection with these ancient peoples of Florida, then why dont they buy the land, with all of their money, (made from gambling) and preserve these areas themselves. They recently bought out Hard Rock Cafe. Sorry but I always here them complaining about preserving the Everglades or sites such as the Miami Circle, but never here of them putting any money up. Correct me if Im wrong.

 

[djui5]

This kinda thing makes me sic. We have the same problem here in the West with old Indian sites. F'n people. No respect.