Objects may not necessarily be "out of context" underwater.  They may be
part of a ship wreck, or a site that was once above water (think towns
flooded by dams).  There is also a question of ownership.  What are the laws
of abandoned property?  Also, at least in the Great Lakes that I'm familiar
with, objects found underwater may be the property of the state.  I know
Michigan, Wisconsin, and I believe Illinois, have laws about objects found
in their "territorial waters" considered the property of the state.  There
was a major lawsuit about this in Illinois about the shipwreck Lady Elgin a
few years ago.


Harry Klinkhamer
Program Officer
American Association for
State and Local History
1717 Church St.
Nashville, TN 37203-2991
615-320-3203
FAX: 615-327-9013
[log in to unmask]

Visit our new Web site, www.aaslh.org

----- Original Message -----
From: "Felicia Pickering" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 3:02 PM
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] treasure hunting [student question]


> You might want to ask your question on Sub-Arch, the Underwater
Archaeology
> Discussion List.  I don't have the list address but you should be able to
> find it through google.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: eireland [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 2:54 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: treasure hunting [student question]
>
>
> A friend of mine, a diver, recently approached me about off shore treasure
> diving in Florida. Usually as someone in archeaology, I am opposed to
> untrained
> treasure hunting because it destroys historical context, but I am not sure
> how
> to feel about this. Isn't it already out of its historical context if it
is
> on
> the bottom of the sea? Does anyone know if objects found in this manner
> are
> accepted by museums?
>
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