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

4.0

This was far more lyrical and poetic than I expected. It made me want to go out into the desert and look for evidence of our past in the hidden niches and caverns. I was looking for an expose on the antiquities market but instead found a thoughtful discourse on why people collect antiquities in the first place. The driving force behind why humans long to own a piece of the past. And the ways that desire manifests from careful scientists and museums to the amateur collectors and pothunters. I had thought this would span more of the world but was presently surprised that it focused on the American Southwest. There is so much history on the American continent that we ignore and it was great to get glimpses into it.
There are no answers provided here but I found the conversation interesting and want to read more by this writer. Also the bibliography was great and will be useful for further research.