The days of the amateur archaeologist are over

By James Brodell

Since archaeology became a profession, tension has existed between the academics and the amateur.

Ironically, many of the great discoveries in the field came from those without professional training.  The rediscovery of the legendary Troy is attributed to a layman with an interest in Greek history. Cave explorers found many of the paintings by ancient humans. Even sponge fishermen have found important artifacts. Much of the exhibits at the Museo de Jade in San José came from the work of hotel operator Carlos Balser.

As long ago as 1938 Costa Rican lawmakers decided that all the archaeological items found in the country belong to the state. What followed was a long string of legislation that sought to protect ancient sites and, more recently, to prevent the exportation of such items. Laws even provide for formal certification of replicas for export, something that frequently is overlooked. Also criminalized is failing to report an archaeological discovery to Museo Nacional officials. The impact of the laws pretty well made amateur archaeology off-limits.

With so many laws on the books, expats could wonder why many upper-class Costa Rican homes have impressive displays of pre-Columbian objects as well as an iconic stone ball in the front yard. That's because the laws seem to be enforced arbitrarily. Another reason is that some objects are grandfathered by a 1982 law.

Still, the cultural heritage department of the museum is aggressive in trying to recover artifacts.  The museum maintains a warehouse in Pavas to house items not on display.

The latest to become involved in an archaeological legal action is former Liberation Party lawmaker Víctor Hugo Víquez-Chaverri. He is back in court because judicial agents in an unrelated 2017 search of his home came up with 12 pre-Columbian items. The case has been shelved once, but Wednesday, a prosecutor in Heredia was reported to have reinstituted the charge. The goal is to have the pieces become the property of the museum with possible sanctions against Víquez.

Museum officials support the laws because they say they are safeguarding the nation's heritage. They decry pot-hunting and grave robbing, called huaquerismo in Spanish. Still, most of the pieces recovered have little archaeological value because there are few records of from where they came. Most experts agree that a professionally excavated site can disclose much of how ancient residents lived when items are found in situ.

Even the study of the famous Costa Rica stone balls in the Diquís region in southwestern Puntarenas Province has been hampered because many of the balls have been moved from original locations. At the Museo de Jade, many of the objects are simply labeled by general location because a lot of the provenance has been lost.

In addition, some of the Costa Rican objects are vulnerable to counterfeiting. Particularly vulnerable is the Chorotega ware. Artists in the area around Guaitil in San Vicente de Nicoya, Guanacaste, have been making pottery for more than 2,000 years. Once they provided utensils to Aztec and Mayan nobles. Now they work for the tourists, sometimes using similar molds and techniques. There is no way anyone, including museum officials, can tell the age of such items without expensive scientific testing unless they are marked by the maker.

The savvy tourist should know that at least a sales slip is vital when carrying replicas through airport boarding and that smuggling actual pre-Columbian items can lead to jail terms, either in Costa Rica or at the destination.

The savvy expat should know that the local law frowns on amateur expeditions even on private property. Sometimes that depression in the back yard is attractive to the amateur sleuth, but shovel work by an amateur Indiana Jones can ruin any historical value to discoveries and lead to legal complications.


Editor’s note: Mr. Brodell, founder and long-time editor of A.M. Costa Rica, can be reached at jay@amcostarica.com

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