Can we talk about how dig sites get looted before they're even recorded?

I was reading about that site in Peru where they found a bunch of pottery last spring, but by the time the team got there, half of it was already gone. It makes me wonder how much history we've lost just because people don't report stuff fast enough. Has anyone dealt with looting at a site near you?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles_roberts7d ago

Local dig crews often know exactly where the good spots are but get paid peanuts, so they'll sell a couple pieces on the side and call it a side hustle.

the_elizabeth8d ago

Read an article where they lost an entire burial chamber that way.

eric_knight78d ago

Got a small notebook and started taking pictures of everything before they moved stuff. Saved me from losing track of where things were.