June 2005    

Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World Author: Roger Atwood Publisher: St Martin's Press $25.95, Cloth, (337 P.) ISBN: 0312324065 B&T         YBP Reviewed by Marcia Amidon Lüsted, Statusing Since the earliest days of exploration, people have often looted the artifacts of other, more ancient cultures, whether for their own private collections or for well-known and prestigious museum collections. In this book, Roger Atwood tackles the looting of ancient archeological sites in a narrative that reads like a combination of Indiana Jones and a spy thriller. Atwood takes a close look at the looting that is still taking place today, despite the international restrictions and laws put into place to help prevent the loss of ancient artifacts to collectors outside of the country of origin. Despite these attempts at stemming the flow, archeological looting and the sale of artifacts continues to be a very healthy enterprise. Although he begins with a look at the looting of ancient sites in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, most of his discussion centers around the village of Sipán in Peru, where local looters stumbled across the remains of several kings of the Moche culture and their gold artifacts. Atwood traces the sale of these artifacts, the attempts of the Peruvian government to retrieve them, the involvement of the American government, and ultimately the construction of a museum to hold the finds that have been recovered. Unfortunately, he also discusses the artifacts that were tossed out and destroyed because they seemed worthless to looters (but of great value to archeologists studying the culture) or that have been irretrievably lost to private collectors and museums outside of Peru. Stealing History is an eye-opening and engrossing look into the dark world of looting and smuggling, and the incredible losses to our knowledge of the Moche culture and other ancient groups. There is no glamour to this business, but rather a murky world of ill-paid village looters and crafty smugglers placing artifacts in their children's knapsacks during overseas flights. It is a fascinating read. Published by YBP Library Services 999 Maple St., Contoocook, NH 03229 USA v: 800.258.3774   f: 603.746.5628 w: www.ybp.com   e: academia@ybp.com All rights reserved.