<![CDATA[Authorities have recovered thousands of stolen archaeological artefacts. Last week, California State Park Rangers seized more than 2,000 items during a search of a property in Feather Falls, California. The artefacts were gradually taken by a single individual over the last 20 years from Lake Oroville. Lake Oroville and its surrounding area were home to the Maidu, an indigenous people from northern California. The systematic removal of these objects constitutes the most serious theft of archaeological artefacts that District Attorney Mike Ramsey has ever seen. The majority of the artefacts recovered are stone flakes; many are 'projectile points,' arrowheads or dart points that would have been used for hunting and warfare. A variety of other objects from a variety of time periods have also been recovered. State regulations and federal laws protect items of cultural significance from being removed from public land. The case is being taken "extremely seriously," according to Ramsey. Cultural resources are protected on all public lands, said Leslie Steidl, State Parks archaeologist. And this collection was taken by an individual and kept in his home, but it existed in State Park land, so it belongs to the citizens of the state of California. When archaeologists remove an item from the ground, they do not simply document the artefact. In order to more fully understand the object and how it came to be where it was, archaeologists examine the surrounding area as well. Earth around the object and how deep it was found can reveal a huge amount. By removing items without properly examining their immediate contextual surroundings, this information is lost. When an artefact is removed, the item loses its ability to give archaeologists a complete understanding. In this particular case, the story of the Maidu people has been silenced. The story can be recovered, however, now that items have been retrieved. "The recovery of these items is critical to the preservation of the cultural resources of our State, which helps us better understand our past and our history, said Steidl. There has recently been a rise in the number of incidents of looting from Lake Oroville. As a result of the water level falling, more objects are being revealed. Before these artefacts can be examined by archaeologists, they are being taken by members of the public. Lake Oroville staff are actively searching for people taking items; the recent recovery shows just how much has been taken already. The recovered artefacts have been secured and will be used as evidence until the case is resolved. Once the investigation is complete, it is unclear what will happen to the artefacts; they may go to the Department of Water Resources. "We are grateful these items are back where they belong," said Aaron Wright, Lake Oroville Sector Superintendent. "[We] urge the public to continue to help us protect these resources for future generations." If people come across archaeological artefacts, Steidl has asked them to leave them where they were found. By moving items an individual can destroy the contextual significance of an artefact, forever erasing its historical story. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons User: Bob n Renee]]>
2,000 Stolen Archaeological Items Recovered
