Indiana Jones on Trial?

Since the early packaged tours of Thomas Cook travelers have visited areas of antiquity on Archeology themed excursions and before that military movements.

Unfortunately souvenir hunters probing and taking objects out of place have contributed to the ruin of many of man kinds greatest achievements.

Many governments have enacted strict rules on removing potential treasures from their sites and travelers must know these since violations have strict penalties.

Greece has long regulated scuba diving near potential wrecks to curb treasure hunters from disturbing artifacts.

Egypt long the site of systematic removal of its greatest treasures has imposed strict penalties on anyone smuggling out antiquities.

Mummies had been stolen for years and used for all sorts of weird purposes including as a paint pigment used in Paris called “mummy” to being used as a ground up ingredient in many European Medicines!

Most recently Italy has prosecuted an Art Smuggling ring that delivered artifacts to many American museums.

Some museum curators have always known where their exhibits really came from while others were fooled. New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts have agreed to return antiquities.

Even more astonishing is the story of Ramses I, a mummy that was originally smuggled out of Egypt and eventually found its way to a freak show collection in Niagara Falls. Eventually it was purchased by Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia for US $2 million and then his identity was confirmed. In a gesture of respect for Egypt this important mummy was returned to Luxor, Egypt.

Usually such generosity is rare and many museums hold onto national treasures acquired before International laws were formalized.

Today Art smuggling is a serious crime. Taking away a piece out of its historical setting destroys the relationship of the site and loses information about history that can never be restored.

Tomb raiding can be dangerous as well. Grave robbers were acquainted how the recently deceased could transmit infectious diseases if disturbed. Edwardian era tombs were feared as still harboring smallpox virus.

Although this is not now a concern digging in strange places does lead to other problems. Soil itself can harbor infections such as Blastomycosis a disease familiar to Whiteshell cottagers.

Likewise tropical tombs harbor venomous scorpions, snakes, and spiders while disease transmitting sand flies and mosquitoes are not far behind.

Organized tours of properly excavated sites are maintained with the safety of visitors in mind but privately discovered sites are not.

Usually if there is something illicit and valuable to be had there are also rough people involved too. Unless you really are a Lara Croft or Indiana Jones in training its better to just stay away.

Any found antiquities should be reported to the local authorities and either left as found or protected. You may not get the treasure but recognition and a reward is possible; and you won t risk injury and possible fines either.

This seems reasonable since even Indiana Jones himself might agree- “even if you don't get the Gold Idol at least you won't get the whip”.

To review prohibited objects brought into Canada see the Canadian Border Service Agency http://www.cbsa.ca