"For generations a massive iron meteorite sat in the Somali desert, becoming a landmark where children played and herders sharpened their knives. Then in 2020 a group of armed men arrived to steal it. The El Ali meteorite contains three minerals never before seen naturally on Earth, making it scientifically priceless. But its journey from Somalia to the black market, with some research along the way, raises uncomfortable questions."
"Well, it was, and it wasn't. It was this thing that was just part of their liveshis rock off in the distance a ways from a village where camel foragers live, you knowand kids played on it, it was in songs, it was a landmark, people used it to sharpen knives, and it was just part of the world that they lived in."
The El Ali meteorite sat near a Somali village for generations as a landmark where children played, people sharpened knives and it appeared in songs. In 2020 armed men arrived and stole the meteorite. The meteorite contains three minerals never observed naturally on Earth, giving it immense scientific value. Its removal and sale toward the black market involved some scientific study during transit. The theft from an insecure, violent region complicated provenance and protection. The sequence raises ethical concerns that scientific analysis and documentation can unintentionally legitimize, increase demand for, or add monetary value to stolen cultural and scientific objects.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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