2014-07-09 For Press Release Meteorites are a part of our natural history. Each country has only a small amount, some only a few. Today we know that they represent pieces of asteroids, the Moon, and some planetary bodies - Mars for certain. But we didn't know this in the past. We didn't even know what to think about them. Did our ancestors think they were gifts from the Heavens or did they portend doom? What our ancestors thought about these "stones" from the sky as well as the meteorites themselves are a part of our history, a history that should be preserved and not lost to time. Latvia has only 4 known meteorites - Buschoff, Nerft, Misshof, and Lixna. Each represents a thought provoking event in Latvia's history. Acquiring and conserving pieces from any of these meteorites only enhances this history, preserving it for those who come after us, stimulating thought and awe for all who will see them.. Almost 200 years ago the country witnessed the fall of the Lixna meteorite and through the efforts of a few a fragment is now in Latvia to be viewed and celebrated by all. In many ways we are all curators, it is our responsibility to preserve the past for the future and not allow it to be lost to time. Russell Kempton, Director New England Meteoritical