The second issue is the custody of the battle artifacts. Mayor Finkbeiner demands their return by Sept. 30, though as yet he has no clear plans for them. The city is not in the museum business, and nobody on his staff is a professional archeologist or museum curator. These are fragile items, which the public should be able to see. However, they should not be pawed over by amateurs, and in this field the city is an amateur.
Governments come and go and often are poor custodians of important items.
It just disappeared. The Fallen Timbers artifacts must be carefully preserved. The mayor should postpone his deadline until his staff has arranged for professional handling of the finds. Technically, they belong to the nation because they stem from a battle that, however one views it, was a seminal event in America's westward movement across the continent. The third and most important issue is what is to be done with the site.