According to UT lawyer Jeff Graves, at least 17 items have been stolen from the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, located at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in North Austin. Not that anyone at UT has tried to elicit community action and support to get the stolen Native American vessels — including pottery bequeathed by the Caddo Nation — or projectile points (spearheads and/or arrowheads) safely returned, of course. In fact, the Chronicle just learned of the robbery — which actually took place in late July — after sources connected to the TARL became so frustrated by the University’s apparent lack of concern or outrage that they contacted us.
TARL Director Darrell Creel asserts he wasn’t the guy who decided not to publicize the break-in. “Somehow [law enforcement officers] think that in some cases it’s better to keep quiet,” he says. “But higher powers than me made that decision.” As far as Creel knows, this is the first time a robbery like this has occurred at the TARL. Graves says someone “forced entry” at the lab and cut a lock at the “medium security” storage area where the vessel collection is kept. UT police were immediately contacted about the theft, he says, and, in turn, campus police notified the FBI. Creel said Caddo Nation officials immediately contacted the FBI, then asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs for help. Both agencies are currently investigating the break-in, Graves says, “but I don’t believe they’ve reached any closure yet.”
Though Graves defines the items taken as “relatively small in number” and in value, the TARL Web site defines its collection of pottery and arrowheads with a bit more reverence. Although pottery is “extremely durable material,” the site notes, “complete and reconstructable vessels are rare at most archeological sites. For this reason, the whole vessel collection is a particularly important resource for researchers.” The vessels and points are particularly hot items on the black market of antiquities, Graves says. The FBI is targeting conventions and Internet auction sites in hopes of retrieving them.
But why are we only finding out about the theft now, nearly three months after it happened? “I’m not quite sure,” said Creel. “I can’t tell you what their logic was.”
This article appears in October 12 • 2001.