Theives Take a Page Out of Rare Books

I recently wrote a feature article titled “Thieves Take a Page Out of Rare Books and Manuscripts” for the Spring 2009 edition of the Art & Cultural Heritage Law Newsletter. The article focuses on book thieves who, rather than stealing whole books, cut pages from books right in the libraries. You’d be surprised at the relatively easy sentences imposed in light of the value of the goods stolen. So, it’s got crime, intrigue, and women. Ok, not really the women, but crime and intrigue are covered. Download the newsletter here; my article starts on Page 4.

Drugs, Guns and Dirt

In the Southwest in particular, the connection between methamphetamines and looting is becoming increasingly well established.  Samir Patel has written an article on the connection for Archaeology magazine, surveying several recent cases and painting a picture of something that goes beyond mere coincidence — an epidemic.

Methamphetamine, like many uppers, creates a compulsion for repetitive, focused behavior.  Some addicts have quenched this thirst by hunting for pottery shards and arrowheads.  Further, meth addicts need to increase the amount of drugs they are taking as time progresses, so they need to fund their habit, and in a cash kind of way.

“[The looting-meth connection] is not a straw man,” says Garry Cantley, an archaeologist with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. “I’ve seen it.”

Read “Drugs, Guns and Dirt” on Archaeology Magazine online.

Endangered Languages, Protecting Native American Languages

More than 2,400 languages around the world are in danger of extinction, according to Unesco, and the US is second only to India in having the highest number of endangered languages.

Homogeny and globalization take a beating these days, but there are some positive aspects to them — wider access to medical care, education, technology, and an increase in cultural exposure.  However, cultural traditions and languages in particular are dying.

On BBC, Saving Native American Languages is an excellent article that discusses how we are losing the diversity of languages, as well as how we are working to preserve it.   It is timely in light of the interactive map recently published on the UNESCO website that shows all the world’s disappearing languages.  The map really is fasincating, and I encourage you to spend a couple minutes finding the unsafe and endangered languages in your area.

Shrinking Lake Reveals New Archaeological Sites in Iraq

On the banks of Haditha Lake, rock staircases and the domed ceilings of mud-filled rooms are now visible under a carpet of shells left behind by the lake water.  Many of the Haditha graves date from the Assyrian period, but relics and sites around it represent a jumble of civilizations and eras spanning the last 5,000 years.

Droughts have led to the shrinking of a lake in Iraq’s western Anbar province.  Looting is Iraq has been an ongoing problem for several decades now, and there are fears that the new sites will be plucked clean before archaeologists have a chance to adequately survey.

Read the full story, Graverobbers feared as lake reveals Iraqi history.

The Motivation Behind Book Theft

The Financial Times has published a readable synopsis of rare manuscript and book theft, including a few of the more noteworthy thieves.  The author even tells the story of witnessing the capture of a famous book thief in the Lindley Library.  See What drives people to steal precious books on Financial Times.