Inceridle find

[Crowfriend]

Incredible find

Once in a lifetime. It's still there. Would you take it?

 

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[thaigler]

Could you loan it to a museum? That way you could learn more about it & would give you more time to make a final decision ....

 

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[DiamondDan]

If I found that on private land, you can bet your ass it would be in my living room.

 

[Mrdigz]

Since it seems to be in very good shape I would take lots of photos before moving it. I definitely wouldn't clean the inside debris out. I would also leave the outside the way it is until more information could be obtained about the piece. If it turns out to be a missing piece to a collection in a museum I would donate the piece to them. " on loan". If it's not from a burial site or known camp I would absolutely
Take this. It's beautiful. And yes it is a once in a lifetime find. Congrats to you for a great catch!

 

[bottlebum]

I would have already built a coffee table around it. Of course, it would be sitting in a soft bed of sand.

Great find!

 

[KeyaPaha]

It looks to me like there are a lot of would be/wanna be criminals in this forum. Pilfering Native American artifacts like this is definitely illegal. You did the right thing by covering it and leaving it in place.
Having worked closely with Lakota/Dakota/Nakota peoples the last 4 years, I have come to recognize their agony over NA artifacts that have gone on the market. Most artifacts, like this pot, have familial markings that trace it back to one lineage or tribe. They believe that by removing the artifact, one disturbs the spirit of the tribe or ancestor who made the object.
You have a very nice picture of your find to keep forever. The spirits are still happy. You did good.

 

[scotto]

It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while, a thread sure feels like a set-up to me.

 

[Charl]

It looks to me like there are a lot of would be/wanna be criminals in this forum. Pilfering Native American artifacts like this is definitely illegal. You did the right thing by covering it and leaving it in place.
Having worked closely with Lakota/Dakota/Nakota peoples the last 4 years, I have come to recognize their agony over NA artifacts that have gone on the market. Most artifacts, like this pot, have familial markings that trace it back to one lineage or tribe. They believe that by removing the artifact, one disturbs the spirit of the tribe or ancestor who made the object.
You have a very nice picture of your find to keep forever. The spirits are still happy. You did good.

And yet, in most states, if it's on private property, and not associated with a burial, it is legal to pick up artifacts off the ground and collect them. Does not sound like a law was broken in this instance at all. And collecting Native American artifacts is not a criminal activity at all. Exactly what law am I breaking when I pick up an arrowhead in a corn field and put it in my pocket?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

And yet, in most states, if it's on private property, and not associated with a burial, it is legal to pick up artifacts off the ground and collect them. Does not sound like a law was broken in this instance at all. And collecting Native American artifacts is not a criminal activity at all. Exactly what law am I breaking when I pick up an arrowhead in a corn field and put it in my pocket?

Excellent post...

 

[Jon Stewart]

For those that say, "leave it be", do you photo and leave arrowheads that you find? For those that metal detect for artifacts, do you follow the no dig laws that are on the books in some states, counties and cities? I question those that suggest bring in an archeology team to look on someone else's property. If the recovery is legal ,put it in a place in your home so others can view it and appreciate the craftsmanship and art of that piece. Or leave it be and hope a cow doesn't step on it. The last place I would take it to is a museum. Their basements are full of beautiful pieces of art like this.

 

[smokeythecat]

If it's on private property and you have permission to be there, I see no problem with taking it. Leave it there, especially covered and you'll guarantee it will go back to dust. In a collection, it has a better chance of being intact longer. It's just a "thing", as it is on private property, and not an endangered species or anything.

 

[Hot diggity]

Nice thread! You got ppl scrambling their ethics & looking up the laws. Funny! A neat experiment & completely subjective. A guy from up north might see it as too Meh-he-can & slightly modern. A European might think even less of it. All would agree it's incredibly intact, nice to look at & TAKE IT without a true appreciation for it. If I were a local I would want to keep the pot nearby even if I kept it for myself until my deathbed to share...then it would end up in a museum basement. Joy. Just keep it, I would. Silly to leave it for unappreciative ppl. Keep it local. Some desert history.

 

[justbrian55]

Pilfer shmilfer.
Laws passed under the guise of hoodwinkery, and broken promises. If they cared they'd give the land back ta boot.
We in heart know who should go to prison/family estates fined of past genocide.

Bad jojo? nup, the piece found a good man to care for it.
of cleaning..don't be putting it up to head to hear the sea. Gila lizard might pop out and chew yer ear off.

 

[unclemac]

when you read some of these posts it seems a few people hold the mistaken view that "Native American" culture was some sort of continent wide experience. Nothing could be further than the truth, customs, beliefs, languages etc were as varied as any place in the world. The photo appears to be a "stock" jpeg, and yes perhaps the poster lived with a "Crow" for 4 years but that pot wasn't found within a thousand miles of Crow country. Knowing a few Crow anecdotes pretty much does not make anyone qualified to speak about "juju" or other such nonsense.

 

[Xraywolf]

I would take it and put it on ebay, bad JuJu aside.

 

[woodsman1981]

Beautiful find, if not on burial site cherish it and show to those of us who keep these relics safe for future generations. I myself had the blessings and honor of finding a great burial site with two very large burial mounds , with large stones which were cut into various shapes. there were large storage pot around each mound . Most had damage from falling hickory limbs from two very large trees on either side. This site was in the middle of a two hundred and fifty acre swamp, and having the shape of a teardrop with a very long path leading to the site. the path was used to park their canoes while the people laid to rest the ones who had past on. I sat with tears in my eyes as I knew that I was the first to see this wonderful site after many hundreds of years . I phoned my Dad and told him I was looking at the most beautiful sites one could only dream of seeing. I stayed for over four hours, listening to the sounds of the winds which to me seemed like music from a long lost time, I have discovered many wonderful sites, but this one was truly special. It was left as I found it and while leaving in reverence wondered if I would ever see it's wonder again. I went back to the top of the hill overlooking the creek and hardwood valley, where the hill made a point, there were five large stones which were hand carved as chairs ,where ones upper legs would be was carved for comfort. These seats were for the chief and four elders of the tribe to look down upon their village, this was truly a sight to behold. I informed the wonderful family of whom I had just met the day before of what I had found , their family had never went into the deep forest of their property and had know idea of what importance and history was inside, they were astonished as I told them of the magnificence of what they had . Their ancestors were slaves before the civil war , having to leave, the plantation owner gave the three slaves he played with as a child the land he had, six hundred and fifty acres each, the property was passed down from the generations . This is the story MRS MARY told me . The family invited me to dinner and had tons of questions , I told them what I could ,and thanked the family for allowing me to tread their land . and allowing me to have the greatest experience of my life , the family is black and I am Irish native American , LOVE is colorblind . It was an HONOR to meet this family . GOD BLESS .

 

[Bquamb]

I am on the other side of the fence here - something like this, if you can help preserve it and "LOAN" it to a museum and have them examine it, but have it remain in your safe guarding, I say keep and preserve the specimen. If it is what we all think it is, its truly a 1 off chance you would find this still in tact after all these years. Take it, put it in a wrapped cloth box, have a museum examine and Xray it and then keep it under lock and key.

That's my $0.02, but is it worth even that>?

 

[Wes213]

On private land. Less than a mile from a house. Nothing else was found there except bone fragments of a horse and horseshoe. Re-purposed Apache use. Mimbres classic. About 1,000 years ago. It was not hidden. I hid it. Don't want it to be in a museum.

Okay, I am going to be that guy here...sorry. It kind of seems like you took it off someone's land with out permission? If so, then that is out right stealing. Taking something of high value off someone else's land with out permission is pretty much the definition of stealing. Who are you to make that call? Maybe the people that own the land would have apreceated it too? Maybe they need money and could have sold it them selves? That was not your call to make.

Tell me if I am wrong?

 

[justonemore]

You found it, and you have chosen to leave it for now. Me, if found legally, I most likely would have picked it up and set it in that pile of sand in a glass enclosed box like others have mentioned. You chose not to. That's your right. It has been there for hundreds of years unbroken maybe it will remain so for hundreds more.
We can assume anything can't we based on all of the comments you have received.
Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Tnmountains]

Enjoy the find and be a good steward is my advice if legal. Your laws may be different than mine. Beautiful vessel.

 

[Mr Scratch]

Setting aside the ethics and legalities, I have to say that the photograph itself is quite striking and beautiful.

On a certain level I'd be tempted to leave it as-is just to preserve the setting that it has sat in for a thousand years. In a way, to remove it and clean it up would reduce it from something slightly magical to an ordinary object. Regardless of what happens to it, you've captured the moment with some excellent photography.