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Legislation forces archaeologists to rebury finds
Guardian (UK) ^ | Friday. February 4th, 2011 | Ian Sample

Posted on 02/21/2011 8:40:10 AM PST by SunkenCiv

The dispute centres on legislation introduced by the Ministry of Justice in 2008 which requires all human remains excavated at digs in England and Wales to be reburied within two years, regardless of their age. The decision, which amounts to a reinterpretation of law previously administered by the Home Office, means scientists have too little time to study bones and other human remains of national and cultural significance, the academics say.

"Your current requirement that all archaeologically excavated human remains should be reburied, whether after a standard period of two years or a further special extension, is contrary to fundamental principles of archaeological and scientific research and of museum practice," they write. Signatories include Chris Stringer, head of human origins at the Natural History Museum in London; Stephen Shennan, director of University College London's archaeology institute; and Helena Hamerow, head of archaeology at Oxford University.

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; nagpra

Full subtitle: "Bones and skulls from ancient settlements will be reburied and lost to science under controversial legislation that threatens to cripple archeological research"
Archaeologists from Durham University clean a Roman stone sarcophagus uncovered at a dig in Newcastle city centre. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA/PA

Legislation forces archaeologists to rebury finds

1 posted on 02/21/2011 8:40:16 AM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: SunkenCiv

Will Chedder Man’s immediate family be present for his reburial?


2 posted on 02/21/2011 8:48:55 AM PST by JimSEA
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

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In before the "graverobbing" remarks.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
 

· History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword ·
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3 posted on 02/21/2011 8:50:10 AM PST by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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To: SunkenCiv

IOW they can’t just dig up bodies only to leave them laying around forgotten in the some museum storage unit for a couple dozen years until some intern stumbles back upon them. Two years plus an extention is plenty of time to do whatever they need done. Be respectful of the body and bury it back where the person wanted to be however many years ago.


4 posted on 02/21/2011 8:53:47 AM PST by bgill (Kenyan Parliament - how could a man born in Kenya who is not even a native American become the POTUS)
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To: SunkenCiv
Those are some of my ancestors being dug up, and I don't give a whistle about it. As C.S. Lewis said, "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." And it is a pile of filthy rags by comparison.

If archaeology can add to our knowledge of history, culture, or medicine, then they are welcome to dig up even my 33rd great grandfather Charlemagne and parade him around the laboratories and museums of the world.

5 posted on 02/21/2011 8:54:04 AM PST by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: JimSEA

His culture is found throughout the world. ;’)


6 posted on 02/21/2011 8:55:45 AM PST by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Burials, excavations, and the Ministry of Justice
7 posted on 02/21/2011 8:56:08 AM PST by mewzilla (Hey, Schumer, your Lockerbie report left quite a bit out.)
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To: ccmay
As C.S. Lewis said, "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."
/bingo Thanks ccmay.


8 posted on 02/21/2011 8:56:46 AM PST by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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To: bgill

IOW, a bureaucrat has imposed a one size fits all rule without any idea of either the current techniques and procedures available, and of course no idea what kinds of tests will be available in the future, all the while ignoring the facts of life regarding the tenuous funding and hoop-jumping needed to get it (except in the case of global warming).


9 posted on 02/21/2011 8:59:24 AM PST by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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To: ccmay

Impressive genealogical work you did there!


10 posted on 02/21/2011 9:03:54 AM PST by TheOldLady ("I am optimistic... [and] greatly heartened by the response of America in 2010..." - Lazamataz)
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To: SunkenCiv
Bids for Lee Harvey Oswald's coffin top $25,000


11 posted on 02/21/2011 9:19:14 AM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Visualize)
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To: SunkenCiv
Just another way to keep future generations from learning history. A worldwide phenomenon...I'm thinking the U.S. here.

That's the tactic of communists......obliterate, rewrite, bury history. And if this law wasn't passed with that motive, then the people who passed it are just plain stupid and beyond hope. Either way the end result is the same. People remain ignorant about crucial historical facts.

Thanks for the ping(s) I thoroughly enjoy them.

12 posted on 02/21/2011 9:29:37 AM PST by Outlaw Woman
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To: SunkenCiv

Who says they can’t build nice sealed metal crypts in the museum basement?


13 posted on 02/21/2011 10:00:53 AM PST by dangerdoc (see post #6)
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To: TheOldLady
Well I didn't do most of it, and I think a lot of medieval genealogy is fanciful or outright falsified, but it's fun to make the connections nonetheless.

And mathematically, it can be shown that we are all Charlemagne's children, other than pureblooded American Indians and Pacific Islanders. See The Royal We for more.

14 posted on 02/21/2011 11:14:22 AM PST by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: ccmay

OMGoodness. I’m a princess. ;-)


15 posted on 02/21/2011 11:21:28 AM PST by TheOldLady ("I am optimistic... [and] greatly heartened by the response of America in 2010..." - Lazamataz)
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To: SunkenCiv

This is either multiculturalist cretins or muslim fanatics. Either way they want all pursuit of knowledge stopped in order to be able to control it.


16 posted on 02/21/2011 1:44:06 PM PST by Cacique (quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat ( Islamia Delenda Est ))
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To: SunkenCiv

What do you mean they have to put you back??!!

17 posted on 02/21/2011 1:45:45 PM PST by colorado tanker
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