Addicts Thieves American Archaeological Sites

Among the archaeologists denounce rampant theft of antiquities from the archaeology excavations around the world, American archaeologists are unique in the audit reports with meth addicts bent on looting of archaeology excavation sites.

From 'Italy the Etruscan tombs of ancient pyramids of Egypt, Cambodia, the temples of Angkor Wat, the thieves have stolen an ancient cultural heritage for centuries, and a new poll to find the looting spread to both rich and poor nations.

Amateur "pot hunters" have long troubled American archaeological sites in search of Indian artifacts at the beginning of robbing or sell, but anecdotal reports of "meth heads" invade the sites adds another worry for scholars.

"The archaeological work has become a more dangerous world" is the study of archaeologists in 2358 (initially was sent to about 15,000 researchers, a response rate of 16%) reported in the current Journal of Criminal Justice Contemporary note looters - - sometimes armed - archaeological sites around the world. "From a global perspective, the sack is not an isolated problem," said study author Blythe Bowman Proulx, of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia

Archaeologists often visit sites under 'field seasons' digging and collecting artifacts for future examination and cataloging. About 79% reported looting of their sites, in locations ranging from Italy to Peru. And 24% said the find "current" in their archaeology excavations in the study.

The only of respondents described U.S. drug methamphetamine archaeologists also often responsible for looting in 18 states. A 2005 Bureau of Land Management report noted that "many" of the suspects arrested for theft of federal archaeological sites organized meth "lab." Archaeology magazine and in 2009 by reports of meth lab operators stealing Anasazi relics. In the survey, Proulx received comments like "nuts methamphetamine are relic collectors," a researcher from Arkansas, and others like him in California, Oregon and southeastern U.S..

"The study began receiving these comments American archaeologists, just jump out of the response," said Proulx. She suggests that because meth labs are often found in remote areas, and archaeological excavations, the spatial coincidence explain the complaints. Meth addicts are known to repetitive behaviors and can find graves in places, calming, it adds to the study.

Drug experts in crime, such as UCLA David Farabee, however, expressed some skepticism about the "go to the leader," the survey report, citing a low response rate. Only 14 archaeologists, who received the survey gave detailed descriptions of the looting. "Provocative findings of the combined drugs are anecdotes and banditry," said Farabee. "It's not a good basis."

While methamphetamine arrests or convictions in the weekly figure provided by the FBI releases, federal survey data suggest that methamphetamine drug users fell by more than half from 2006 to 2008, the last year surveyed in a national survey of Parliament. And allegations of abuse of methamphetamine can cause brain damage has been questioned by some recent results. Approximately 1.17 million people nationwide reported illicit methamphetamine last year, according to federal Drug Enforcement Agency.

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