Childs is an amazing storyteller. He combines his extensive research with his personal experiences interspersed to produce this deep, thought-provoking masterpiece. He discusses where artifacts are found, how they are retrieved, how they are stored, and he takes this story to the international level. He shares information about looters/looting, the black market, police raids, private collectors, archeologists, public institutions, the illegal and the legal, the importance of provenance, and the ethics involved. And, he shares his opinions. ( )

Interesting, but not particularly pleasant to read. For most of the first part, I felt like the author was scolding me and everyone else who's interested in archaeology. Later, he went on to broader views - but it's still objecting to both digging stuff up (because it destroys the full context) and (in one side mention) using various technologies to study things without digging them up (because we humans are all about touch and can't learn much from just looking). He talks to archaeologist, curators, pot-hunters, private collectors, and people who are digging up their own ancestors' stuff to sell - and appreciates all of them, but doesn't agree with them. His final conclusion is that he (still) wants to leave everything where it is, let it rot or be stolen or whatever as long as he's not the one to take it out of the ground. I really don't understand that choice, despite the whole book talking about it - it doesn't make sense to me. I kept getting glimpses of understanding and then he'd talk about the next thing and it stopped making sense again. I'm glad I read it, I guess - it was an interesting exposure to a lot of points of view - but I didn't get a lot out of it and I don't think I'm interested in rereading. ( )

So much enjoyed this book! I may have found a new favorite author! Lots of things to think about with archaeology. Gave me a lot to think about! Looking forward to his other books. ( )

Read while at Camp Sivu...good, a bit redundant, and lots of what the book jacket calls 'lyrical prose'. Mostly, composed of pretty elementary ideas, but good for the novice. Interestingly enough (at least for me), the author continues my belief in the concept that I've never met or read an archaeologist I'd want to hang out with. Same with Dude Craig. ( )

Interesting investigation into the world of artifacts and the ethical issues in archaeology. There are no simple answers when it comes to the past. ( )