October 10, 1995
Web posted at: 8:05 p.m. EDT (0005 GMT)
From Correspondent Gary Strieker
DJENNE, Mali (CNN) -- Under the sands of western Africa are relics of a civilization that lasted for 2,000 years, an archaeological treasure that might explain mysteries of African civilization. But secrets buried in Djenne (pronounced JEN-nay), and in hundreds of other ancient sites in Mali, are in danger. They could be lost forever as antiquities are being plundered and sold to international art dealers.
Terra cotta figures are dug from the ground and sold for a few dollars. Sometimes they are recovered if police receive a tip from knowledgeable people, such as those at the Mali National Museum, who hear about them. But most are smuggled out of the country and are bought for thousands of dollars, mainly by European collectors.
Laws forbidding the looting and exporting of antiquities in Mali are flouted by networks of art dealers and middlemen. Some art dealers pay cash for artifacts, no questions asked, while others sell only what they say are copies, carefully crafted to look like the real thing. The government of Mali tries to persuade villagers to protect the ancient sites, but it's not easy when by digging up and selling a few terra cotta pieces, a poor family can make more money than they could otherwise earn in a whole year.
Meeting with a government agent, the village leader of Djenne asked what's in it for his people if they stop digging and start protecting the old things in the ground. The reply is a vague promise of a future museum, a tourist attraction to bring money to the village. It's not much of an alternative to the ready cash that trickles down from Paris and other European art centers, where dealers say there's big demand for antiquities from Mali.
The United States recently prohibited the import of Malian artifacts, but European nations -- including France, Belgium and Germany -- still allow the trade to continue. Mali's government seems almost powerless to stop it, and some residents see nothing wrong in selling antiquities that will always be known as Malian art, protected in private collections. "A lot of pieces would be wasted today if they'd been in Africa," said Malian art collector Mamadou Diani.
But when archaeological sites are looted before scientists can study them, said Samuel Sidibe of the Mali National Museum, Mali loses much more than pieces of art. "The plundering, the pillage is obviously destroying our way to understand our history," he said.
Unable to protect its ancient treasures, or to pay for scientific research, one of the world's poorest nations is losing its rich history piece by piece.
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