Walking footsteps

[Udayana]

http://www.tornosnews.gr/en/greek-news/society/27177-fossil-footprints-of-early-human-ancestor-stolen-from-archaeological-site-in-kasteli-crete.html

A number of fossilised footprints believed to belong to a hominid ancestor of modern humans have been stolen from Kissamos archaeological site on Crete island in Greece, by a person or persons unknown, authorities revealed on Thursday. Ten of some 40 footprints on the Kasteli site have been cut away and removed from the rock, where they were found by a Polish paleontologist in 2002.

Beggars belief really. It was only a couple of weeks ago that it was announced that these were thought to be the evidence of a (the first) European hominid ancestor.

(Though why anyone should think this area was "European" 5.7 mya is weird).

[jeremyp]

http://www.tornosnews.gr/en/greek-news/society/27177-fossil-footprints-of-early-human-ancestor-stolen-from-archaeological-site-in-kasteli-crete.html

Beggars belief really. It was only a couple of weeks ago that it was announced that these were thought to be the evidence of a (the first) European hominid ancestor.

It doesn't beggar my belief. There are always selfish arseholes who'd be prepared to do this sort of thing for a bit of money.

(Though why anyone should think this area was "European" 5.7 mya is weird).

It's a convenience thing. Assuming that the geography was roughly similar five million years ago, why not refer to the area as Europe?

[Rhiannon]

There's also the sense of entitlement. If someone wants, they can have. People have been known chip away pieces of stone at ancient sites to take home as a 'souvenir'; this is just a bigger version of that.

[jeremyp]

There's also the sense of entitlement. If someone wants, they can have. People have been known chip away pieces of stone at ancient sites to take home as a 'souvenir'; this is just a bigger version of that.

I think it's more likely somebody thought they could make serious money from them on the black market.

[Udayana]

Not sure how such an item could be valued .. after all it's only of use to palaeoanthropologists. It's been in place for 5.7 my, and another 15 since being found, but suddenly when declared as possibly left by an early hominid ancestor it leaps in value enough to be stolen? My expectation is that they will just be binned after a few attempts to sell on.

Geographically, in the lifetimes of the creatures, there was no Mediterranean, so current demarcations and boundaries make no sense. Maybe it is an expression of the European urge to appropriate anything within reach? Just as well they never invented anything important otherwise civilisation would have been strangled at birth by demands for royalties for patents and copyrights 

[Udayana]

Just to state .. Greek police have recovered the footsteps, and arrested a 55 yr old local teacher for the theft.

[Sebastian Toe]

Just to state .. Greek police have recovered the footsteps, and arrested a 55 yr old local teacher for the theft.

Is he the sole suspect?

[ippy]

Is he the sole suspect?

They weren't his prints, although they've taken steps to measure the cold stone gravity of his crime and will be putting in appropriate impediments in his path to make sure he wont be walking away lightly.

ippy
 

[Outrider]

Geographically, in the lifetimes of the creatures, there was no Mediterranean, so current demarcations and boundaries make no sense. Maybe it is an expression of the European urge to appropriate anything within reach? Just as well they never invented anything important otherwise civilisation would have been strangled at birth by demands for royalties for patents and copyrights 

That's a possibility, but I think it's just as likely that it was found on what has been termed the European continental plate. If it were on another continental plate, it would been referred to by that term.

O.

[Udayana]

In fact Crete is on the Aegean plate, which is like a small bit floating between the African and European plates.