Why do people remove artifacts from wrecks?

[Mike]

Archaeologists consider ancient trash dumps excellent resources to study and retrieve artifacts from ancient civilizations. 300 years from now somebody might recover my Commodore VIC 20 from it's place in a landfill and put it in a museum.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

While I personally do not take artifacts from wrecks, or anywhere else in the sea, I think Jim Lapenta makes a good case for those who want to, provided they follow the rules of each site. The fact that it's not my thing does not govern op\thers. And in point of fact, even I would take the treasure from a pirate ship or other ship if I was ever fortunate to find such. I think most people would, truth be told.
DivemasterDennis

 

[fire_diver]

Archaeologists consider ancient trash dumps excellent resources to study and retrieve artifacts from ancient civilizations. 300 years from now somebody might recover my Commodore VIC 20 from it's place in a landfill and put it in a museum.

You are confusing pre-historic sites with modern times. There is nothing to be gained from archaeological digs into historic era shipwrecks, even ones dating back to to 1600s. We already know who was sailing, where they sailed to, how they constructed their ships and even know the names. What new information is to gained? How does it impact history to exactly how and where every piece of a ship lays on the bottom of the ocean. 2000 - 3000 year old ship? Sure, that has something to lend to history because it's very likely we don't have records from that civilization.

 

[FinnMom]

Why do people remove artifacts from wrecks?

To take home and create clutter with ugly old hunks of metal & wood that means very little to anyone but themselves.
In other words to drive their wives nuts.

 

[Akimbo]

Why do people remove artifacts from wrecks?

To take home and create clutter with ugly old hunks of metal & wood that means very little to anyone but themselves.
In other words to drive their wives nuts.

I rest my case

 

[mikeycanuk]

If anyone wants to see portholes (from Barbados mostly) and the like visit a LDS I don't go to very much. He's been diving a LONG time and his swag is sitting in display cases in his store.

There is a wreck in the St Lawrence where SOS (Save Ontario Shipwrecks) put a plaque and plate next to the wreck where divers are asked to place artifacts taken years before. A few have.

 

[Wookie]

Same debate as "to spear fish or not to spear fish". Some will feel it's OK, some will feel it's unethical, some will do it within restrictions (no triggers, no tanks, no rebreathers), and some will disdain spearing fish to eat while killing every lionfish on the reef.

At the end of the day, there's nowt so queer as folk.

 

[Mike]

You are confusing pre-historic sites with modern times. There is nothing to be gained from archaeological digs into historic era shipwrecks, even ones dating back to to 1600s. We already know who was sailing, where they sailed to, how they constructed their ships and even know the names. What new information is to gained? How does it impact history to exactly how and where every piece of a ship lays on the bottom of the ocean. 2000 - 3000 year old ship? Sure, that has something to lend to history because it's very likely we don't have records from that civilization.

I'm not confusing anything. You're trying to paint into a corner that the only interest in anything older than a few months old is for someone to try to discover something about a lost civilization. My post was in direct response to a reference to a 1700 year old ship in a previous reply. Put all the posts together for the complete picture. There is not just One reason why artifacts are artifacts or why one is more important than another or for that matter unimportant.

I'm very happy that in Truk they levy $50,000 fines and jail time for anyone caught with an artifact taken off a wreck. Great policy and one that could use a lot of imitating elsewhere.

 

[covediver]

The best explanation of why people are compelled to take items from wrecks is best explained by reading a book like The Last Dive, Fatal Descent, Shadow Divers, or other books of the deep shipwreck diving genre. These provide a lot of insight as to why people want to bring things back from wrecks. Back in the 1980s, some folks including a number in the California Wreck Divers were self-described "brassaholics", compelled to remove items from vessels just because they could, regardless of whether or not the should.

I think this practice has morphed, for the better, into movements like tech diving and other pursuits where the achievement of "being there" and "not bringing it back." But some people are into collecting stuff (just look at all the reality shows on pawnshops, storage unit auctions, and pickers and you see what I mean).

The paradox that has always confused me is that through their actions, the people who take stuff deprive anyone who comes after them the thrill of discovery, the thing that the savlor so highly prized in the first place.

 

[Hostage]

Lots of interesting feedback and debate. All the wrecks I have dived are in the Great Lakes area. While I don't have any qualms about people removing objects that are not associated with a wreck. I have seen areas where people have put objects, from when they have been removed and I appreciate that. There are wrecks up here that pre-date American and people still dive them. While I don't dive the ocean much, things up here last a lot longer and it is nice to be able to dive them. Even the far off and deep wrecks might become a lot more accessible for future divers. Local economies can benefit from the wrecks as people stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, fill up at the LDS and charter a boat to a site.

I dove with a group who has located one "lost wreck" before. They said the compass still points north, while they have removed some artifacts, it is in the local museum and they have respected the requests of NY, where all can see and appreciate it. The wreck itself is broken up, though at least the anchor and other equipment were still there for this old schooner.

I also know another guy who has discovered many wrecks from Lake Ontario, including the HMS Ontario. The one reason he doesn't release his wrecks is he is worried about people removing artifacts from these wrecks.