Scope of Engagement: The undersigned were retained to catalog, identify, and appraise all tangible personal property located within the above-referenced warehouse, following the consensual foreclosure on the indefinite lease by sole executor of the late Derek Wheeler (1898–1955) and the subsequent abandonment of the leasehold. The contents were inventoried in situ between July 14 and September 1, 1986. Identification was conducted collaboratively, with the academic institutions providing pro-bono expertise in exchange for right of first refusal on items of demonstrable archaeological significance (Group A).
Agreement Regarding Group A (Academic Pre-emption): The Consortium (Peabody Museum, Boston University, and the Boston Athenaeum) is granted the option to acquire any lot designated Group A at 83⅓% (five-sixths) of the appraised fair market value, provided they match the highest independent third-party bid at public auction. This arrangement is made in consideration of the Consortium's substantial in-kind contribution to the cataloging and conservation assessment of the entire estate.
| Lot | Description & Condition | Appraisal ($) | Consortium Price (5/6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-01 | Greywacke runestone slab. One (1) large, broken stone, approx. 42 x 28 cm. Surface fire-cracking and spalling. Incised with Younger Futhark runes, partial inscription tentatively read as personal name + "let reisa." Seventeen (17) deliberate defacement grooves across inscription. Condition: Poor. | 3,500 | 2,917 |
| A-02 | Carbonized oak timbers and ash layer samples. Twelve (12) bagged soil/charcoal samples, plus three (3) large fragmentary oak beams, heavily burned. Excavated from Conception Bay mound, Newfoundland. Radiocarbon dating recommended. Condition: Stable in sealed bags. | 800 | 667 |
| A-03 | Mixed faunal bone assemblage. Two (2) wooden crates containing approx. 200 fragments of sheep, pig, and unidentifiable large mammal bone. Sorted and labeled by Wheeler. Includes one (1) flaked chert projectile point. Condition: Fragmented, erosion. | 600 | 500 |
| A-04 | Iron artifact collection. Seven (7) fragments: one partial stirrup, three nail heads, one cauldron hook (tentative), one knife tang. Heavy corrosion, active rust. Condition: Requires immediate conservation. | 500 | 417 |
| A-05 | Plaster casts of Nova Scotia petroglyphs. Twelve (12) plaster positives, taken at Kejimkujik Lake, 1931. Represent Indigenous ceremonial carvings. No Norse connection. Condition: Two casts cracked. | 750 | 625 |
| A-06 | Soil core tubes. Fifty-six (56) glass cylinders, wax-sealed, containing stratified sediment samples. Approx. fourteen (14) tubes are broken or leaking. Condition: Fair, partial loss. | 350 | 292 |
| A-07 | Lead-lined box and contents. One (1) small box discovered behind a loose floorboard. Contains one (1) spool of unprojectable 16mm film (severely degraded) and one (1) 40-page notebook in unknown shorthand cipher. Conservation pending. Condition: Fair. | 40 | 34 |
Group A Appraised Subtotal: $6,540 | Consortium Payment: $5,450
| Lot | Description & Condition | Appraisal ($) |
|---|---|---|
| B-01 | Whalebone gaming pieces (set of five). Four (4) berserker figures biting shields, one (1) king figure. Carved whalebone, consistent with Norse/Greenlandic type, c. 12th–13th c. Found in the ash layer. Fire-darkened, edge wear. Condition: Fair. | 6,500 |
| B-02 | Copper alloy bowl fragment. One (1) repoussé copper sheet, approx. 15 x 20 cm, bearing incised Kufic Arabic script ("bismillah"). Dating uncertain; excavated from same stratum, considered later intrusion by Consortium. Heavy oxidation, fragile. Condition: Poor. . | 1,200 |
| B-03 | Chukchi shamanic headdress. One (1) reindeer antler circlet, carved with stylized bird motifs, suspended with six (6) small rusted iron cones. Acquired Oslo, 1928. Condition: Cones loose. | 600 |
| B-04 | Maori hei-tiki pendant. One (1) dark nephrite pendant, carved as seated ancestral figure. Acquired London, 1937. Condition: Excellent. | 1,500 |
| B-05 | Chinese celadon bowl (Song style). One (1) pale green glaze bowl, hairline crack through the body. Used by Wheeler as an ashtray. Condition: Cracked, rim burns. | 400 |
| B-06 | Fijian cannibal fork. One (1) four-pronged implement, dark hardwood with pearl-shell inlay. 19th c. Condition: Good. | 350 |
| B-07 | Benin ivory armlet. One (1) carved elephant tusk section, incised with figures of Portuguese mercenaries and leopards. 16th–17th c. Condition: Stable, minor surface cracking. | 2,500 |
| B-08 | Tibetan gau prayer box. One (1) miniature portable shrine, silver alloy with faded turquoise cabochons, containing prayer paper. Early 20th c. Condition: Clasp working, turquoise heavily worn. | 650 |
| B-09 | Moche stirrup-spout vessel. One (1) ceramic vessel, red-brown clay with modeled human face showing facial deformity. Pre-Columbian, c. 400–800 CE. Condition: Intact, minor rim abrasion. | 1,200 |
| B-10 | Venetian glass trade beads. One (1) leather pouch containing approx. two hundred (200) assorted faceted glass beads, blue, red, and white. 17th–18th c. Condition: Good. | 250 |
| B-11 | Inughuit sealskin needle-case. One (1) small sealskin pouch with sinew stitching, worn on a woman's belt. Acquired Greenland, 1926. Condition: Dried, but intact. | 175 |
| B-12 | Dahomey bronze manilla (currency). One (1) heavy horseshoe-shaped bronze bracelet. West African currency, 18th–19th c. Used as paperweight. Condition: Verdigris. | 100 |
| B-13 | Ming export porcelain saucer. One (1) blue-and-white saucer, 17th c. Condition: Minor rim chips. | 250 |
| B-14 | Narwhal ivory harpoon heads (set of three). Three (3) miniature carved harpoon heads, too delicate for hunting, likely decorative. Greenlandic Inuit, 19th c. Condition: Good. | 400 |
| B-15 | Bolivian silver coca spoon. One (1) small chased silver spoon, curved bowl for lime. 19th c. Condition: Tarnished. | 100 |
| B-16 | Siberian mammoth ivory section. One (1) polished cross-section of tusk, displaying Schreger lines, approx. 15 cm diameter. Condition: Stable. | 400 |
| B-17 | Mixed archaeological specimen crate. One (1) wooden crate containing: twelve (12) tide-worn granite cobbles (Nova Scotia); five (5) lead ingots and two (2) amphora necks (Bahamas, Spanish colonial); eighteen (18) Old Copper Complex artifacts (Kentucky, Late Woodland). Condition: Varied. | 375 |
Group B Appraised Subtotal: $16,950
| Lot | Description & Condition | Appraisal ($) |
|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Dismantled stone structure. One (1) large skid and pile of dry-stacked fieldstone and shaped lintels, weighing approx. 3 tons. Dismantled by Wheeler from a Rhode Island site. Consortium identifies as 18th-c. colonial root cellar. Bulk stone, very low value. | 150 |
| C-02 | Wooden sloop in pieces. Hull sections, mast, and rigging, disassembled. Largely rotted. Copper nails previously salvaged. | 75 |
| C-03 | Nautical instruments (mixed). One hundred twelve (112) brass and bronze compasses, barometers, sextants, chronometers. Most corroded or frozen; a dozen may be restorable. | 1,000 |
| C-04 | Fossil and geological collection. Approx. two hundred (200) specimens, including trilobites, striated siltstones (natural "runes"), and glacial erratics. Housed in fifteen (15) glass-fronted cabinets. Educational value only. | 350 |
| C-05 | Arctic ephemera. One (1) polar bear rug (moth-eaten), three (3) broken sledges, assorted seal-skin boots (dried), and fifteen (15) walrus tusks (raw and carved). | 500 |
| C-06 | Ship figureheads (four). Four (4) wooden decorative figureheads, Victorian merchant marine, one with a "Norse-style" helmet (Wheeler's annotation). Paint loss, weathering. | 750 |
Group C Appraised Subtotal: $2,825
| Lot | Description & Condition | Appraisal ($) |
|---|---|---|
| D-01 | The Wheeler library. Approx. 3,200 volumes: antiquarian journals (19th c.), Norse saga translations (annotated), esoteric pamphlets on Atlantis and the Kensington Runestone, and Wheeler's self-published monographs. Lower shelves water-damaged. | 2,500 |
| D-02 | Map and chart collection. Over three hundred (300) hand-drawn cartographic overlays and reproduced nautical charts, plus forty (40) framed wall-maps. Includes Wheeler's cross-Atlantic "projection" diagrams. | 600 |
| D-03 | Photographic archive. Five hundred fifty (550) glass-plate negatives and early Kodak prints. Subjects: Newfoundland excavations (approx. 300), Labrador coast (150), portraits and camp life (100). | 350 |
| D-04 | Correspondence files. Twelve (12) bankers boxes of letters, telegrams, and postcards, 1920–1955. Includes Wheeler's personal and professional correspondence. Some unsent letters of note. | 50 |
| D-05 | Desk furnishings. One (1) oak drafting table, inkwells, approx. 300 lead pencils, magnifying lenses, and one (1) brass desk bell. | 250 |
| D-06 | Field sketchbooks (1924–1926 seasons). Three (3) leather-bound volumes containing original pencil diagrams, trench profiles, and daily log entries. Includes loose leaf inserts. Condition: Covers worn, pages intact. | 100 |
Group D Appraised Subtotal: $3,850
| Lot | Description & Condition | Appraisal ($) |
|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Empty wooden crates and shelving. Fifty-four (54) empty crates (some with expedition labels), twelve (12) metal shelving units, packing straw. | 200 |
| E-02 | Miscellaneous office furnishings. One (1) wooden desk (damaged), four (4) chairs, two (2) filing cabinets (empty). | 125 |
Group E Appraised Subtotal: $325
| Group A (Consortium pre-emption – payment 5/6 of appraised) | $6,540 appraised / $5,450 paid |
| Group B (Ethnographic and antiquarian) | $16,950 |
| Group C (Maritime, salvage, etc.) | $2,825 |
| Group D (Library, maps, photographs) | $3,850 |
| Group E (Warehouse fixtures) | $325 |
| Total Estimated Realizable Estate Value | $30,490 |