I think the final group in the line deserves disproportionate blame for destroying the remaining collection.

No matter how I think about it, it seems like a more egregious act.

Pre-Colombian literature on philosophy, nature and governance would be quite a find. Hopefully there's many places yet to be searched.

To be speculative, if I was trying to hide books while being invaded, I'd bury them in a box in an old cemetery in a dry climate.