by Curlan Campbell, NOW Grenada
- Pre-Columbian Polychrome pottery fragments on the e-commerce website eBay
- Excavated from Pearls in St Andrew, is currently listed for sale as low as US$40
Archeologist, Dr Jonathan Hanna, became concerned after spotting the sale of Pre-Columbian Polychrome pottery fragments on the e-commerce website eBay this past week. The pottery fragment dated around 300–600 CE, was said to be excavated from the old Pearls airport located in St Andrew, and is currently listed for sale on eBay for as low as US$40.
Dr Hanna, who constantly monitors these auction sites, said this illegal action is quite common, however he was concerned since this was the first time he has seen artefacts being sold on eBay that was said to be from Grenada. Upon making the observation, he immediately took to social media to solicit the assistance of concerned Grenadians to report these sellers to eBay.
“This is the first time I caught something that was explicitly mentioned as from Grenada (often, it’s not clear what island the artefacts come from). This one was very likely found at Pearls (as the listing says), given it matches the unique abundance of such adornos found there,” Hanna said.
eBay provides for the reporting of such illicit activity among other concerns that arise when making purchases using the platform, however there are those who believe that the system is not robust and does not allow for the reporting of all violations.
Hanna continued, “I monitor eBay for various terms related to pre-Columbian artefacts in the Caribbean. I’ve been seeing more stuff lately on Etsy than eBay, unfortunately, and I’m probably missing a lot. But these are just the tip of the iceberg, since there are more things being sold on private auction sites.”
Dr Hanna pointed out that the seller deliberately tried to falsify the date as to when these artefacts were excavated in an attempt to mislead potential buyers into thinking it was discovered prior to the 1970 UNESCO convention which was created to prevent the illicit trade of cultural artefacts. “It’s almost certainly not from the excavations in the 1960s. That is a lie intended to place its theft before the 1970 UNESCO convention. Collectors always do this, trying to grandfather their recent purchases into some excusable past innocence,” he said.
Under the 1990 Heritage Protection Act, the Government of Grenada established as a protected area for Amerindian artefacts. This was later repealed by the National Museum Act (No. 12 of 2017) which covers all archaeological sites on the island and Heritage imposes a $10,000 fine for selling Grenada’s antiquities.
Grenada is also a signatory to the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transport of Ownership of Cultural Property, the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects and the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.
Concerned citizens in Grenada are being asked to report the sale of Pre-Columbian Polychrome pottery fragments on eBay and any other e-commerce sites.
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I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET A WHITE MAN IN PEARLS TAKING THESE ARTEFACT FROM A LITTLE BOY IN PEARLS. WHEN I CHECK OUT WHO THIS WHITE MAN IS HE WAS WITH THE PEACE CORE OF AMERICA. STATION RIGHT HERE IN GRENADA. HE THEN LEFT HERE AND WENT TO DOMINICA AND DID THE SAID THING. HE WAS WITH A WHITE WOMAN. IT LOOK LIKE TO ME SHE WAS IN HER LATE TWENTIES THIRTIES AND HE WAS OVER FORTY. I CAN IDENTIFY HIM . AS I AM KALENAGRO THOSE ARTEFACTS ARE LINKED TO MY GENETIC CODE.. THEY LEFT THIS ISLAND BY PLANE . STILL THE SAME SLAVE MENTALITY IN ALL INSTITUTIONS HERE. SEARCH THE BLACK WOMAN/ MANINTIMIDATE THEM BELITTLE
THEM INSULT THEM. BUT DON’T TOUCH THE WHITE BOY. THERE IS A LAW AGAINST REMOVING ANY ARTIFACTS FROM THIS ISLAND .SO HOLD THE ONES INCHARDE RESPONSIBLE. THE NECK BRACE THAT WENT AROUND OUR ANCESTORS
The smuggler should be held responsible and charged for such
This is so WRONG… We should oritwct our heritage at all cost
… I AM APPALLED AT THIS…
I have bought this on eBay and will be bringing back to Grenada in March
I brought back several items to Grenada from this seller, I handed over his address to the museum. I was not informed when I emailed that they had known about this seller already. I was told that neither the government nor the museum board care much for artefacts. If I’m honest museums only belong in the west, they were designed to mock and exoticise other cultures and as a result of their actions we have no option but to preserve. Rather than a museum though, money should be put into advertising and cultivating these crafts.
I spoke to the seller as well, who said that he needs the money for his retirement as he is on social security and that I could purchase his remaining items from him. He has a massive collection of items. I told him that he was not owed a penny for the culture that he has removed and that the process of removal, the treatment of people as savages and the description of their craft and culture as primitive is the very thing that lead to this lack of care now. I am beyond dissapointed.
I am a researcher in the Caribbean and wound like to buy it to return it to Grenada.
Thanks.
Who gives a flying fig about some old fragments.
Dr Hanna should have better use for his time
This is our past history and it worth more than/$40.so well done Dr.Hanna in the country where I leave now they artifacts are so dear to them
Who smuggled it out?
It would be prudent for the government of Grenada to protect these sites from vandals. This can be difficult, but it is worth exploring all options to protect Grenadian antiquity from long ago. Once gone, it is impossible to bring back.