List Members:
 
"Archaeologist uncovers treasure chest hidden 149 years" read a
highlighted article title in the Las Vegas Review Journal
(1/20/1999:6B). A friend had told me earlier of the article and even my
mother-in-law had called to tell me.  Wow, a treasure, and found by an
archaeologist. I just had to search out the article because we do not
subscribe to the local pinnacle for obvious reasons.  The article said
that the chest was worth a cool $500,000 and was found by a 56-year-old
semi-retired substitute school teacher turned archaeologist retracing a
"Lost" 1849er travel route through Death Valley.  It further stated that
he had crossed Area 51, a top secret military installation without
permission from the Department of Defense (guards at the installation
have the opition of shooting you if you are caught on its clearly marked
land).  To my surprise the material was removed from National Park
property and the "archaeologist" was hoping to donate the found material
to a museum.  The article was co-authored by a local reporter who has
given the professional archaeological community in this region nothing
but heartburn by describing local archaeological sites newly
"discovered" by advocationalists and collectors.  The message being sent
by such article reinforces the popular attitude that "treasures" can
still be found and that archaeologists are thrill seekers, adventurous
(a la Indiana Jones), potential monetary gains, and don't get in trouble
when they break the law, in this case, several federal violations.
 
Is it little wonder that when I come across a previously unrecorded
archaeological sites in the middle of open public land during a CRM
inventory that the sites have been picked clean of diagnostics,
"goodies."  Even remote sites in the West are being pot hunted and
surface collected by persons on ATVs.  Why not, treasures are still out
there to be had, and it must be ok because they read it in the
newspaper.  I hope that this so-called archaeologist is prosecuted by
Death Valley NP under an ARPA violation to send a clear message counter
to flaming newspaper accounts.
 
Thanks for letting me bend your ears....ww