French Museum Sells Rare American Indian Artifacts
Posted on 01. Apr, 2010 by Shannon Graham in Archeological Excavations, Artifact Finds, Old World
In an unprecedented move announced Wednesday, it appears the Musee du Louvre (Louvre), which houses 7,000 rare and valuable American Indian artifacts, will be liquidating it’s extensive collection. The reduction is a result of budget cuts and a nationalistic movement to showcase only Western European artifacts.
The United States has long petitioned the French institution to return its thousands of stone, flint, and shell artifacts that were recovered when France owned much of the modern-day United States. Once the Louisiana Purchase was complete in 1803, the French retreated with ancient artifacts from virgin sites that covered 828,000 square miles stretching from Louisiana up into Canada encompassing 14 US states today.
Martin Dale, curator from the Smithsonian, says the collection represents some of the finest artifacts never seen by the public. ‘These artifacts were plundered and have remained hidden from public view for over a century. No one really knows what may actually be hidden away in the Louvre.’
Spokesperson from the Louvre, Cloe Vis, has a different outlook. ‘These specimens were taken as samples from the artifact rich mounds in North America back to France for study. They are very primitive compared with our finer Solutrean technology and as such, many were not fit for display. The blade-core technology of the American aborigines is like child play when compared with our finer Solutrean technology’
Jos Bleau, Louvre curator, agrees. ‘The technology of the New World artifacts was simplistic and inferior. We chose not to contaminate our displays by exhibiting such crude Clovis and Folsom points.’
Louvre Director, Cas Troville, explains the reduction is a result of economic pressures more so than a nationalistic move to highlight local items. “Times are tough. Archeological agencies are no different from private enterprises during this recession. With all of the recent cut-backs, we’re feeling the negative budgetary impacts as well.” Troville went on to say that the American Indian artifacts that have been collected over the past 250 years will be liquidated and sold to the French public to raise funding for upcoming French exhibits focused on fashion, food and wartime strategy.
Chief Curator for the Louvre, Scott Z’bloughft had this to say ‘warehousing artifacts is an expensive venture and is really not the core of what we should be doing. We are switching from displaying crescent knives to crescent rolls’.
Enjoy April 1, 2010.
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10 Responses to “French Museum Sells Rare American Indian Artifacts”
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Arrowheads & Artifacts Sold | France Today
01. Apr, 2010
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Tom
01. Apr, 2010
Methinks we’ve been duped!
Spokesperson from the Louvre, Cloe Vis Clovis
Martin Dale, curator from the Smithsonian Martindale
Jos Bleau, Louvre curator Joe Blow
Louvre Director, Cas Troville Castroville
Chief Curator for the Louvre, Scott Z’bloughft
Anonymous
04. Apr, 2010
Maybe they should sell them and buy some deodorant and tooth brushes.
Adam Agusti
martyb
07. Apr, 2010
We should have let Germany have them……If the American indians invaded them they would surrender in 3 days….
Anonymous
08. Apr, 2010
Ha Ha good read Shannon
John
29. Jun, 2010
If they are so inferior, who would want to buy them, why not just give them back?
Chipolaman
20. Sep, 2010
Yep, had me going, too. I was frantically searching the internet to see if I had missed out on the de-accession auction of my lifetime and cussing out all of my so-called “friends” who I KNEW got in on the action and didn’t even tell me about the sale…I was a little bit suspicious when I saw the “They are very primitive compared with our finer Solutrean technology and as such, many were not fit for display. The blade-core technology of the American aborigines is like child play when compared with our finer Solutrean technology’” but anyone who has had the misfortune of having to deal with hoity toity French (or most Europeans for that matter) can appreciate that it wasn’t all that outrageous of a statement to have come from a Frenchie. LOL
bob
27. Jan, 2011
THIS SUCKS
michael schmitz
27. Aug, 2011
If you sell ARROWHEADS, can you let me know what price you sell each at and the cost of postage? MIKE
james walton
20. Nov, 2011
hi i have a very nice bloa sphere (white) war hawks,tamahawks,war clubs,war hammers,celts10”-atlatl,giant spear points probibly some neanderthal.1 giant 7” cresent knife effigies,of fish person,eagle,bear buffalo,and gorgets,beads,discodials,game pices,few arrow points,lots of blades,stone handeled knife,some of my points i have found are clearly pre-indian.big flaking patterns and some are hard rock hit ! the funny thing is i found them in my home state of VA in areas where some have reacently been un covered by shifting currents these few artifact that im talking about were rughfly 50 plus feet down and some were crushed due to heavy land shifting over time crushing them even though they were in sediment newly forming in to granite like rock! for pics contact me at jameznova123123@yahoo.com