Mercury-breathing bacteria might decontaminate crudely preserved Native American artifacts now in museums, speeding up the safe return of the stolen objects to their tribes.
Ceremonial masks, head dress, textiles and other artifacts were stolen from Native Americans as European settlers moved west across the continent. To keep insects and pests from ruining the objects, people – and later museums – doused them in heavy-metal pesticides.
Continue reading… “Mercury-Breathing Bacteria – An Ally for Native Nations?”