WeRtheOcean
Contributor
- Messages
- 392
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- None - Not Certified
Now, this is not diving related, but it did occur at the beach. I was looking for shells along the North Coast, Dominican Republic, when I saw a face looking up at me. Half buried in the sand was this object. At first I thought it was pottery; but on closer inspection, I believe it is basaltic stone. The style is recognizably that of the pre-Columbian Taino culture. Which creates an ethical and legal consideration.
If this is an authentic Taino artifact, then I have no right to keep it. It is part of the world's cultural heritage, and must be turned over to the Ministry of Culture. If it was in an archaeological site, then it should not have been disturbed at all; but this was in the wave zone of the beach, no telling where it came from or how long it would have remained. On the other hand, the souvenir industry sometimes sells replicas of artifacts, and if this turns out to be a replica, then it has no cultural value, and there is no reason I shouldn't keep it. The problem is, I don't know how to tell.
I contacted an archaeologist at the Museum of Dominican Man in Santo Domingo. He said it looks like a "chinoide piece", but that he would not be able to tell whether or not it is authentic unless he sees it in person. I was not able to make the cross-island trip to Santo Domingo this most recent time. So, here I am back in the States, while the artifact sits in my house in the Dominican Republic, awaiting my return (no way am I going to take it out of the country!). The next time I go back, that will be one of the first agenda items: take it to the archaeologist. If it turns out to be an authentic antiquity, I expect that trip to be the last I ever see of it. So, I thought I would share the picture here in the mean time.
If this is an authentic Taino artifact, then I have no right to keep it. It is part of the world's cultural heritage, and must be turned over to the Ministry of Culture. If it was in an archaeological site, then it should not have been disturbed at all; but this was in the wave zone of the beach, no telling where it came from or how long it would have remained. On the other hand, the souvenir industry sometimes sells replicas of artifacts, and if this turns out to be a replica, then it has no cultural value, and there is no reason I shouldn't keep it. The problem is, I don't know how to tell.
I contacted an archaeologist at the Museum of Dominican Man in Santo Domingo. He said it looks like a "chinoide piece", but that he would not be able to tell whether or not it is authentic unless he sees it in person. I was not able to make the cross-island trip to Santo Domingo this most recent time. So, here I am back in the States, while the artifact sits in my house in the Dominican Republic, awaiting my return (no way am I going to take it out of the country!). The next time I go back, that will be one of the first agenda items: take it to the archaeologist. If it turns out to be an authentic antiquity, I expect that trip to be the last I ever see of it. So, I thought I would share the picture here in the mean time.
