Rules for removing and/or selling Native American artifacts?

[Drogo]

I know a guy who owns some land that was once home to an Indian village hundreds of years ago. He's found pottery fragments, arrowheads, and other items.

Since these finds are on private land, is he free to sell the items?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[fever87]

In a simple two word answer - it depends.
On what you ask - on the state the property is in, it depends on how much the state archies want to get access to the site, depends on whether any human remains where found with it, etc.

 

[Jeremy S]

This might be worth reading. The GE Mound Case: The Archaeological Disaster and Criminal Persecution of Artifact Collector Art Gerber: Jim Fisher: 9781492745914: Amazon.com: Books

Jim Fisher True Crime: The G E Mound Case by Jim Fisher

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Jeremy, my take on a story like that, is not to "shiver in my boots" for the risk of "touching an arrow-head", etc.... There will ALWAYS be fluke stories of some "deep pockets entity" (general electric, in that case) having the book-thrown-at-him for something silly. There are endless examples of big corporations being pursued for stuff that everyone else, does, every-day-of-the-week. Like, I look at things that K-mart gets sued for (over-time calculation disputes, discrimination against some class, etc...) and think "sheesk, every employer I know does those things.

So you can't take "fluke stories" and make them the norm. For example: If I looked long enough and hard enough, I could no doubt find a story of someone roughed up, car confiscated , jailed and ticketed, for leaving his pet bunny in the car while he went into 7-11 to get a slurpee. Why ? "Animal cruelty laws" (no doubt the bunny suffered deprivations, etc...). Ok, sure. But seriously now, if you did that tomorrow, would anyone care less ? OF COURSE NOT.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

In most states artifacts recovered from private property that were not recovered from a grave or mound are legal.... There are thousands upon thousands of artifacts being legally sold.

 

[Tnmountains]

I know a guy who owns some land that was once home to an Indian village hundreds of years ago. He's found pottery fragments, arrowheads, and other items.

Since these finds are on private land, is he free to sell the items?

Drogo
Most states anything on your land is legal to collect and sell as long as it is not from a grave. A google search should give the laws for your area but be sure to put in private property or you will be in for a shock.

 

[Dr. Syn]

So what about (stuff) that your family buried a long long time ago on your land? Not saying how they came about it, as I don't know.
But, always that but, if it was anything to amount to something I'd be willing to bet unless you kept your mouth shut and very slowly disposed of it, you would have authorities of all kinds on your back wanting their piece of the action.

 

[Tnmountains]

So what about (stuff) that your family buried a long long time ago on your land? Not saying how they came about it, as I don't know.
But, always that but, if it was anything to amount to something I'd be willing to bet unless you kept your mouth shut and very slowly disposed of it, you would have authorities of all kinds on your back wanting their piece of the action.

Yes look at the gold coins found by the family and all the tax money they had to pay the government.

 

[huntsman53]

The link below provides some very good information concerning collecting Native American Artifacts.

Indian Artifacts: Understanding the Law | Follow the Stories | Antiques Roadshow | PBS


Frank