How a California Anesthesiologist Became One of America’s La

[zacjust32]

How a California Anesthesiologist Became One of America’s Largest Antiquities Looters

On a late morning in August 2014, a scorcher in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Dr. Jonathan Bourne and a few of  his hiking buddies plied the switchbacks of California’s Glacier Divide, having just bolted past two alpine lakes, not even stopping for as much as a sip. The group was competing in the annual Sierra Challenge, a 10-day quest to tag 10 of the most remote peaks in the Sierra. It took 58-year-old Bourne, an anesthesiologist in nearby Mammoth Lakes, only a few hours to reach a 12,900-foot summit, ahead of everyone but one.

For much of his adult life, Bourne had fashioned himself as something of an amateur archaeologist. His obsession with collecting began in 1991, around the time that two hikers in the...read more

[TahoeJeff]

A very telling comment by John Dittli at the end of the article.

[balzaccom]

So what happens to the 30,000 artifacts that he collected? Are they confiscated? Does the prosecutor have to prove they were stolen/removed from federal property before they can confiscate them, item by item? Or is that part of the plea bargain---he gives his entire collection to...USFS? Local Tribes?

What a nightmare.

[rlown]

My reaction is to make him put them back where he found them, one by one, and have him pay for a USFS person to shadow him as he does. I've also found stuff, but it stays where it is found. Might take a pic of it but that is all.

[Cross Country]

To me it's a shame that so many people have to get trophys - some houses, some cars, literal trophys, etc. I played a lot of adult competitive sports and will admit that at one time I had a rediculous amount of trophys in my 30s. In my 40s I gave them all away. I've always thought that peak bagging is in some part trophy hunting. Just my perspective.

[Snowtrout]

All I can say is WOW!! To me, I find the writer of the article's tone to be very sympathetic with a "he had the best intentions" theme while painting the doctor's character. Plus, the plea bargain and judge's punishment doesn't help.

[AlmostThere]

Unfortunately, he is not alone in that arrogant injured "what, I didn't do anything wrong" attitude. Nothing we can do about jerks who don't respect anyone or anything outside themselves.