A review by wyrdmedieval
Finders Keepers: A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession by Craig Childs

3.0

As someone with an interest and a career in cultural heritage, this book was thought-provoking and, at times, infuriating, but I think that was the author's goal. The book provides an insight into the collection, plunder, sale, and gatekeeping of cultural heritage from the perspective of someone largely removed from the academic infrastructure that the author seems to believe is doing more harm than good in its efforts to preserve the past. The perspective mostly focuses on the archaeology of the Americas, but occasionally touches on other places where archaeological heritage is contested and largely excavated by those to whom the artifacts do not "belong;" I would be interested to learn whether and how these opinions would differ when looking at cultural heritage stewardship by and for locals and descendants of the material in question.
It's not the easiest to get through if you struggle to read about the many ways that history and heritage are damaged by passers-by, but I'll be thinking about some of the questions that the author raised for a while.