A rare Martian meteorite discovered in the West African nation of Niger has been sold for $4.3 million (£3.2 million) at Sotheby’s in New York, sparking outrage and an official investigation into how the extraterrestrial rock left the country. The 24.7kg (54lb) meteorite, known scientifically as NWA 16788, is the largest ever found from Mars and one of fewer than 400 Martian meteorites ever discovered on Earth.
The sale, which took place last month, has drawn sharp criticism from academics, heritage advocates, and the Nigerien government. Both the seller and buyer remain anonymous, and it is unclear if any proceeds from the auction will benefit Niger. The government has expressed “doubts about the legality” of the meteorite’s export, raising concerns over possible illicit trafficking of cultural and natural heritage.
Professor Paul Sereno, a renowned palaeontologist at the University of Chicago and founder of NigerHeritage, condemned the sale, calling it “brazen” and insisting the meteorite belongs in Niger. Sereno, who has worked extensively in the country and campaigns for the return of its cultural and natural treasures, argues that under international conventions, such artefacts—whether cultural, geological, or extraterrestrial—cannot simply be removed from their country of origin without permission. “We’ve moved on from colonial times when all this was okay,” he said, stressing that meteorites are part of a nation’s identity and heritage.
According to an Italian academic publication, the meteorite was discovered on 16 November 2023 in Niger’s Agadez region, near the Chirfa Oasis, by an unidentified “meteorite hunter.” It was reportedly sold by the local community to an international dealer, then transferred to a private gallery in Arezzo, Italy. Scientists at the University of Florence, led by mineralogy professor Giovanni Pratesi, studied the meteorite before it was displayed briefly in Italy, including at the Italian Space Agency in Rome. When it appeared at Sotheby’s, two slices had been retained in Italy for ongoing research.
Sotheby’s has strongly denied any wrongdoing, stating that NWA 16788 was exported and transported “in line with all relevant international procedures” and that all documentation was in order. The auction house says it is reviewing the matter in light of Niger’s investigation. However, Niger’s own heritage laws, passed in 1997, while protecting “mineralogical specimens,” do not specifically mention meteorites, something both the government and Sotheby’s have acknowledged.
The meteorite’s journey has reignited broader debates about the trade in extraterrestrial material, a lucrative global market often compared to the art trade. Countries like Morocco have faced similar challenges, with thousands of meteorites discovered in their portion of the Sahara over the past two decades, many of which have been sold abroad despite regulations aimed at preserving national heritage. Moroccan geologist Professor Hasnaa Chennaoui Aoudjehane, who has spent 25 years working to keep meteorites in her country, laments the loss of such treasures, describing them as vital to a nation’s identity and pride.
For Niger, the loss of NWA 16788 is particularly significant, not just for its scientific value but for its cultural and historical importance. The country has ambitions to showcase its heritage in a planned museum in Niamey, which could have displayed the meteorite as a centrepiece. Instead, it now sits in the hands of an anonymous collector, its fate uncertain.
Professor Sereno hopes the controversy will be a turning point, pushing Niger’s authorities to strengthen protections for meteorites and ensuring that future discoveries remain in the country. “If it ever sees the light of day in a public museum,” he said, “that museum will have to face the fact that Niger openly contests its possession.”
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