The Realities on the Ground in China

USA Today has this interesting article about tomb robbing in China. See http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-06-23-tomb-raiders-china_N.htm The article belies the claim made by the archaeological community during hearings on the Chinese MOU that most artifacts from looted tombs leave the country. Although the article takes a dim view of collecting, it does nonetheless also acknowledge that it is now a popular pastime in China. If anything, it will become more popular in the future. Mao forbid collecting and his student mobs destroyed many historical artifacts during the Cultural Revolution, but China's present rulers seem to want to encourage the links collecting engenders between the Chinese people and their glorious past.