This whole situation started as a drama, turned into a comedy, and ended up a farce.
http://www.livinginperu.com/news-4953-environmentnature-villagers-puno-peru-guard-meteorite-keep-scientists-from-studying-area Villagers in Puno, Peru Guard Meteorite and Keep Scientists from Studying the Area (LIP-ir) -- Regional Geology Director for Peru's Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute (INGEMMET), Hernando Núñez del Prado, stated yesterday that the townspeople of Carancas, Puno, Peru were suffering from "a type of collective psychosis" due to the fact that they had established a 24-hour watch around the crater where the meteorite had landed. Núñez explained that the townspeople were treating the crater as a "treasure which had to be protected day and night," explaining that they feared losing fragments of the meteorite. Núñez affirmed that this behavior was only getting in the way of scientists which were attempting to study the meteorite. Furthermore, it was reported that a group of townspeople kept INGEMMET scientists which had traveled to Carancas from getting close to the crater and studying it. Núñez also stated that a group from Peru's Geophysics Institute (IGP) was also kept from doing research in the area. Núñez assured that the townspeople's behavior was due to the fact that the 'meteorite hunter' Michael Farmer, who was in Carancas, Peru and bought pieces of the meteorite, had told the people that they had one million dollars in the crater. It was reported that Farmer paid villagers US$1000 for 300 grams of the meteorite. Since then, 400 locals have organized themselves into two groups which guard the crater day and night. Núñez has stated that the situation in Puno, Peru is "very tense." ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
