The plundering of Paquimé: the history of looting in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico

Abstract

The destruction of archaeological sites is a complex issue that affects sites around the world. Although site destruction could be the result of various factors, it is usually attributed to looting of artifacts for a local or global market. This case study examines the history of looting in the Casas Grandes region of Chihuahua, Mexico and its association with institutions in the United States in the last century. The region is unique because it so close to the United States/Mexico border, where part of the market is extremely close to its source. Casas Grandes pottery collections and archives curated at several borderland museums in the United States Southwest were the focus of this study. The changing relationships between United States borderland museums, looters, middlemen, collectors, and archaeologists allowed me to define three periods of looting: the Museum Period (1900-1939), the Private Collector Period (1940-1979), and the Present Period (1980-present). By examining the history of looting in the area, we can begin to better understand this complex issue and possibly implement strategies in the future that might educate locals, collectors, and tourists with the goal of ending looting and site destruction.