More than 20 prehistoric artifacts hand me downs

[RicFlairDrip]

My father in law and I have been bonding over art stuff the moment my wife introduced me to him, and just recently he asked me to dispose all his precious collection by any means favorable to us. Its over 20 artifacts that seem to be prehistoric things like pottery, figurines, and carvings. Now i'm trying to figure out what to do with them... Maybe donate, sell, or lease them to a museum or university. Dont really wanna ask him about its legitimacy so does anyone know any trustworthy places or experts (local or national) who could help with that? I've heard of Tulane's Middle American Research Institute but would love more suggestions. Lastly, please lead me to institutions or any place at all that would be interested in these stuff.

 

[Castella]

MARI knows their stuff but I'd also look into the smithsonian's repatriation or cultural heritage programs, or even The Field Museum in Chicago.
And yeah, I get not wanting to press your father in law on provenance, but having at least a vague origin story will help institutions even begin to evaluate interest.

 

[pbcookie7]

@RicFlairDrip wow, that's quite the inheritance!
Since you don't want to ask your FIL, your best bet is to approach a university archaeology or anthropology department or a museum (especially a natural history or cultural museum). They often have experts on staff who can do an initial assessment. They'll be able to tell you if they're genuine, what period/culture they belong to, and if there are any legal considerations (like provenance). For institutions that might be interested, definitely think university museums or teaching collections, as they're always looking for study pieces