Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World

by Roger Atwood

Book Overview

Roger Atwood knows more about the market for ancient objects than almost anyone. He knows where priceless antiquities are buried, who is digging them up, and who is fencing and buying them. In this... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312324073
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.11 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.8" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Excellent!

This book is a must-read for any archaeology student. I agree with other reviewers that the title is somewhat misleading, however the author uses the site of Sipan only as a case study. He includes information about many other sites and legal cases as they fit in with topics covered in the case study. The best part of this book is that the author actually offers plausible suggestions for solving the problem, not just complaining about it. I am, of course, against tomb robbing, but I also value the material available in museums. I recomend that readers also look into the museum and collector's positions in order to form your own opinion. This book is very persuasive (especially the photos), but I would still try to keep an open mind.

MISLEADING TITLE

There is nothing to add to the detailed analyses of this book previously detailed, except: Know what you are buying: This book is 95% about the author 's experiences excavating at Sipan; as well as some discussion regarding other sites in northern Peru. If this is what you want, it is an excellent book; however, it, in no way. is a more general discussion of its title and subtitle. I was really hoping for a more extensive discussion regarding the many other sites around the world. So, in this difference, I would only give it one star. Just know what you are buying. I am keeping the book; however it's lack of what the title promised, and the many other sources that are available regarding Peruvian (and particularly Sipan) resulted in my being very disappointed in its restricted coverage in contrast to its title.

We Are All Being Robbed

Grave robbing has always happened; the tomb of Tutankhamen was broken into in antiquity, long before Howard Carter found it in 1922. Grave robbing is part of archeological history, and continues today. The lesson in Roger Atwood's book, _Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World_ (St. Martin's Press) is that starting in the twentieth century, grave robbing became much more efficient, and is effectively robbing not just graves, but robbing civilizations of their history. Atwood has concentrated on one particular site, the royal tombs at Sipán in Peru, and has given its sad modern history in great detail, but that has not stopped him from taking a larger historical view. Throughout the book are the contrasting digging techniques and aims of the robber and the archeologist, with the practical realization that often the two must at least informally work together, particularly in the case of looters finding valuable sites with the archeologist ideally showing up very soon afterwards before the good stuff is gone. Atwood's sobering book shows that there is no reason to assume that the archeologists are winning, and that the treasures of the world may simply be dug out soon, with little learned from the spoils and no more left to learn from. The problem, of course, is that treasures ripped out of context lose their meaning; one archeologist said that looted objects are pretty but dumb. The problem is accelerated by faster shipping, with traders able to bring looted goods to international markets with an efficiency that was previously unimaginable. Atwood has gone out with the diggers; he gives a scary account of accompanying them on what was for them just an evening's work. He is able to do this in good conscience because the robbers themselves are not the villains of the book. They often have no other means of survival, and are using their land for its best possible production. The bad guys are the dealers, private collectors, and even museum officials who power the digging engine by means of huge payments further up the delivery chain. The main hero of the book is the famous Peruvian archeologist Walter Alva. He had dug up tombs, and run a provincial museum, a quiet and obscure professional life, until looters struck a Sipán tomb in 1987, emerging with riches in gold of a type that had never been seen before or documented. The dealers moved fast to close in on the find, and the smooth robbing of the territory was only stopped when one of the looters felt cheated of his fair pay, and alerted police. When the police found a looter's hoard, they called Alva, who got his first glimpse of the treasures which would make his name in archeology. Atwood has described many aspects of the world trade in archeological loot, and how it damages all of us. There is a description of steps here that might cure the problem, like a moratorium on trade in antiquities that have no accurate record of provenance. He a

Well Written and Exciting

Stealing History takes an important subject and makes it interesting and readable. Atwood writes the book like an Indiana Jones novel mixed with a true crime story in the context of a history tome. He follows the path of an ancient golden artifact which is the largest ever found in the Americas from the looted tomb in Peru to the New Jersey Turnpike(!) in the US. Atwood writes in a compelling fashion which makes it hard to put the book down. Highly recommended!

Compelling

This is just what good non-fiction should be: fascinating, un-put-downable, and important. Not only did I learn about how the art world is allowing the great treasures of history be destroyed or lost to private collectors. This is effectively depriving the world of its history. I recommend this book not just for anyone interested in art and artifacts--though you will learn about it--but for anyone who wants to read an important book about the way we're letting the ability to study our past and our heritage go to ruin. A really good read!