As an archaeologist living on Anguilla, people often approach me to ask if I’ve found any treasure. Popular portrayals of Indiana Jones mean many people mistake archaeology for treasure hunting. While there are many basic similarities- both professions “dig” for history and research the past using archives, they are fundamentally different. While archaeologists excavate the past in order to understand past lives and answer specific questions, treasure hunters are concerned primarily with finding artefacts they can easily sell to recover their costs.

Dr. Brett Hodge

Anguilla’s waters hold a wealth of history, little of which would interest professional treasure hunters but which as a whole tells the story of Anguilla’s past. The more pieces are removed by treasure hunters, the less information can be learned and the more difficult it becomes for archaeologists to reconstruct the past. Anguilla is at a cross roads and unfortunately much of the island’s history has already been lost.

While an archaeologist would never undertake an excavation before funding was in place, treasure hunters often gamble other people’s money hoping they’ll get lucky. When a treasure hunter finds an artefact, the first question is “how much is this worth?” An archaeologist, on the other hand asks “where did this come from and what can we learn from this?” While a treasure hunter will immediately excavate a find, an archaeologist will record its position and may take samples of the surrounding dirt to analyze.

Treasure hunters emphasize excavation while archaeologists stress preservation. A treasure hunter has to sell what he finds in order to pay for his work and keep his investors happy. An archaeologist can leave history buried, preserved where it is to be excavated when science allows more to be learned. A treasure hunter believes “finders keepers, losers weepers” while an archaeologist understands that history belongs to the people. An archaeologist appreciates that the whole may be greater than the sum of its parts; a collection tells a better story than individual artefacts. An archaeologist follows professional ethics that insure excavated artefacts are conserved, publicly displayed, and not sold. Treasure hunters do not have these ethics.
An archaeologist will tell people what they are doing and may encourage the community to get involved. He or she will have permits and permission and a clear research design before the project begins. A treasure hunter will often try to obtain permission, sometimes offering the government a percentage of the value for the right to excavate. If permission is unlikely or denied, they may go ahead and risk being caught, knowing that the potential benefit outweighs the risk.

How do you tell the difference? A treasure hunter can hold a degree or claim to be an archaeologist. He or she can be charming, well-educated, and talk about “good” archaeology. The crux is determining who will benefit. An archaeologist will write and publish information from wrecks, earning an income by teaching and disseminating. The archaeologist will benefit but so will others. A treasure hunter will take his reward and leave, selling it to make a profit. The artefacts will not be displayed in an accredited museum because ethics prevent museums from purchasing artefacts illegally obtained.

In the end, few will benefit from treasure hunting but many may benefit from archaeology. The next few years are critical for Anguilla and will determine whether the past will play a role in the future.

About the author: Lillian Azevedo is a maritime archaeologist living on Anguilla and working with the Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society to raise awareness and promote the island’s local heritage. For more information, she can be contacted at maritimearcheology@gmail.com.

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