It’s a story that’s gotten people talking.

“Storms uncover mystery shipwreck” was the headline on the front page Tuesday. The story by Elise Hamner and photos by Susan Chambers provided readers with a glimpse into the past that’s been uncovered out on the North Spit. This season’s pounding waves and ferocious winds shifted a mountain of sand, revealing the 35-foot-long bow of a wooden-hulled ship.

It’s an exciting find, and one that is likely to stimulate a lot of interest from the public.

And that might be a problem.

Most coastal residents are law-abiding citizens who appreciate treasures from the past. But there always are a few who don’t; who pillage and loot and destroy, more interested in grabbing a handful of history than in preserving it.

The mystery vessel is uncovered and vulnerable out there on the beach. There’s no way to protect it from the elements — or from society’s undesirable elements.

So here’s a request: By all means, go out and take a look at this uncovered ship. But leave it there. Don’t try to bring a bit of it back home with you. That’s just not right.

And it’s against the law: Under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, it’s against the law to remove, damage or deface any archaeological resource found on public land. Doing so can bring a fine and even jail time.

This shipwreck has survived possibly a century of shifting sands and blowing winds and rains. And thanks to the careful, respective people who may have come across it at times in the past century, it’s still here.

We can look at it.

We can touch it.

We can learn about it.

And talk and read about it.

And there’s no better way to keep people enthused about local history.