Re: Trading fossils illegal in Italy?

From
Date
>Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 08:51:44
>To: Daryl.Fuller@bchydro.bc.ca
>From: Silvio Renesto <renesto@imiucca.csi.unimi.it>
>Subject: Re: Trading fossils illegal in Italy?
>
>At 09.36 25/06/96 PDT, you wrote:
>>What about rocks and minerals? Couldn't you send over samples of limestone
and 
>>silica (which just might by accident have fossils in them, which you
obviously 
>>didn't notice)? Also, I have heard of quarries of marble from Italy which are 
>>rich in fossils. Used for fireplace facing, wall facing, etc. Is this a
recent 
>>law?
>>
>>Daryl Fuller, Vancouver
>>
>>
>It is a nearly a century old law and was conceived mainly to protect
archaeological sites, to prevent illegal trading of roman and etruscan
artifacts, statues, pottery etc. The law was extended to everything coming
out from excavations, comprising thus also fossils, but intended as
specimens coming from fossiliferous localities, obviously some long time
known outcrops of rocks with fossiliferous contents of actually no relevant
scientific value like some limestones and marbles are classified as rocks
for building and can be quarried and used for constructions etc. Important
fossils can be lend to scholars abroad for study, but they have to come back
to Italy.
>P: S. My name is Silvio Renesto and not ReSesto.
>


Dr. Silvio Renesto
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università degli Studi di Milano
via Mangiagalli 34
I 20133 Milano Italy
Fax: + 39-2-70638261  email: renesto@imiucca.csi.unimi.it