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Artifacts meant to stay on national, state lands (US)

National Park Service officials hope the recent conviction of a Russellville couple for violating a federal law will serve as a lesson to those who traipse across public land seeking a piece of history to take home.

The Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 prohibits digging up, destroying, disturbing or collecting arrowheads, pottery or other ancient artifacts found on federal land.

"There's a huge concern that the public doesn't know what's allowed," said Caven Clark, a National Park Service archaeologist at the Buffalo National River. "We want them to know so we can focus on the industrial-strength bad guys who don't give a hoot whose property they are looting on."
Read entire article at Arkansas Democrat Gazette