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Old/ hostoric? Pieces of ceramic
I am in the process of moving and sorting things out in my house.
I have just found something and I don't know what to do with it. Thisis a long shot but I hope somebody will give a practical answer.
Eight years ago I went trekking in China, in the desert of Inner Mongolia. We found some bits of ceramic pieces. Nothing complete, the biggest is maybe 8 cm, terracota type thing with some lines painted on it. The head of the expedition, Chinese, told us to keep yhem, that in China nobody would appreciate or do anything with them. And I had forgotten about them and I have just found them. I have no idea, but I do think thay could be some thousands of years old.
Would a museum or someinstitution be interested? I really don't want to keep them myself, but I can't throw them away. Ideas, please!
They were found near lake Noertu (yes, a lake in the Sand Sea Desert), in the Alxa Plateau.
There are very strict controls over the export of cultural relics from China. If they are anything important, or actually antique / of historic interest, then you probably broke several laws taking them out of the country. Anything that was made before 1911 is technically not allowed out of the country without an export certificate issued by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and anything that dates from before 1795 is not allwed out at all. Without a certificate, your pieces are worthless, as no one (especially an official place like a museum) will take them. You could always try and sell them on ebay or something. Put them away somewhere in the back of a cupboard, and in 50 years or so, give them to your grandchildren.
