Against my better judgement, I feel that I should report on my knowledge of the laws in Norway. It is clear that meteorites found on property belong to the land owner (although this has never been tested). The land owner can, of course, give permission, in which case, the meteorites belong to the finder according to whatever deal they've made. Good for Mike and Morten. Meteorites on public property apparently belong to the finder although the state may be able to make a case in certain circumstances such as parks or 'crown' land. Again, this has never been tested and is unlikely to come about. This material does not currently fall under the category of cultural property however Elen Roaldset at UiO would like to make it that way. It seems that different people were given different stories by the same authorities.
As to 'whose piece was rained' on, I wouldn't let it affect your decision to buy or not to buy from a particular dealer. All of this material is beautifully fresh and I expect that most people will not notice the differences in oxidation unless they're really critical. If it's really crucial to the discussion one can (I don't have time or really care to) check the archived weather data for Moss to see when it did and didn't rain. In the end, find a piece that you like at the right price and buy it from someone you feel comfortable with.
Will more material be found? Quite possibly. I can't believe that the strewn field has been searched out at this point but I also wouldn't expect huge additional quantities to be recovered and make it to market. It is challenging to find anything there and most has been lost to water hazards. Locals may find more in their backyards but there is a very high chance that that material will go to an institution. Which, given the way that this material seems to be affecting people, is not a bad thing at all. The University of Oslo seems to be quite keen to learn what they need to do with this material scientifically. While I might not agree with their stance on new laws, I do admire the initiative that they're starting to show with regards to learning about what should be done with the material.
I will also add that all of this discussion has made me decide to donate more material to an institution. I just haven't decided which one yet. I guess that's it for the new telescope ;-) . At least my wife will be happy.
Have fun, Mike ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
