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Science Trumps Ritual in Mystery Skeleton Row [Kennewick Man]
Reuters--UK ^ | Thu 5 February, 2004 | Adam Tanner

Posted on 02/05/2004 5:52:19 AM PST by syriacus

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Denying a request by American Indian tribes who sought an immediate burial, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Wednesday that scientists should be allowed to continue testing on a 9,000-year-old skeleton.

"It's terrific," said Robson Bonnichsen director of Texas A&M University's Center for the Study of the First Americans and a plaintiff in the case. "The court has upheld the principle for scientific study of very early human remains."

The legal battle pitting Bonnichsen and seven other scientists against the U.S. government and Indian tribes dates back to 1996, after two teenagers discovered a skeleton near the shore of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington.

Scientists dated the "Kennewick Man" remains as 8,340 to 9,200 years old, yet it was a puzzling find because its features differed from those of American Indians. Scientists hoped further study would shed light on early North Americans.

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: dillehay; godsgravesglyphs; history; kennewick; kennewickman; preclovis; skeleton
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1 posted on 02/05/2004 5:52:20 AM PST by syriacus
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To: syriacus
From the article:
Without a clear link between the skeleton and Native Americans, the court gave a green light to science.

2 posted on 02/05/2004 5:56:06 AM PST by syriacus (Why are re-enactments like Plimouth Plantation OK, but Gibson's Passion is not OK?)
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To: syriacus
"The court has upheld the principle for scientific study of very early human remains."

Surprise

One more added to the list of "done for the greater good" . But who's greater good?

3 posted on 02/05/2004 5:57:14 AM PST by NativeSon (<--Savage and Proud)
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To: syriacus
Is Kennewick Man curently above ground? Wasn't there an "inconvenient" skeleton that was buried very, very thoroughly during the Clinton Administration?

The Left seems to like some science, but be afraid of what science will uncover in other cases. Perhaps they have an agenda.

4 posted on 02/05/2004 5:59:15 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (I'm having an apotheosis of freaking desuetude)
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To: syriacus
THe "mongolian" indians do NOT want any proof that maybe it is a "caucasian" that was here first?

Didn't Joseph Smith (Mormons) profess that?

5 posted on 02/05/2004 6:00:08 AM PST by steplock (www.FOCUS.GOHOTSPRINGS.com)
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To: NativeSon
A few more scientists live to collect a very big paycheck and get published.

My personal feeling is that the bones should be buried in a proper nearby cemetery and "rest in peace".

Intrusion on this skeleton may tell us something but it will be nothing useful and much will be hypothetical jibberish.

The man died 9000 years ago. No one can "claim" him except the earth.

6 posted on 02/05/2004 6:04:10 AM PST by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: ClearCase_guy
The left has an agenda???? I am shocked and saddened deeply saddened.
7 posted on 02/05/2004 6:11:14 AM PST by sticker
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To: Sacajaweau
"The man died 9000 years ago. No one can "claim" him except the earth."

Yes there is his wife, Helen Thomas
8 posted on 02/05/2004 6:12:32 AM PST by sticker
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To: sticker
Yes there is his wife, Helen Thomas

LOL. (Though I hope he had better sense than to marry her)

9 posted on 02/05/2004 6:17:25 AM PST by syriacus (Why are re-enactments like Plimouth Plantation OK, but Gibson's Passion is not OK?)
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To: syriacus
LOL. (Though I hope he had better sense than to marry her)

IIRC, Kennewick Man was found with a spear point amid his bones. If he did marry her, I suspect it was a self-inflicted wound....

10 posted on 02/05/2004 6:21:11 AM PST by r9etb
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To: syriacus
That explains it. Married to Helen Thomas, the man had a "death wish".
11 posted on 02/05/2004 6:22:21 AM PST by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: r9etb
Actually that goes to prove he probably ran against Bill Clinton for something. Or knew too much about the Clintons. Or perhaps was Hitlery's first boyfriend?
12 posted on 02/05/2004 6:24:46 AM PST by lawgirl (God to womankind: "Here's Cary Grant. Now don't say I never gave you anything.")
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To: Sacajaweau
My personal feeling is that the bones should be buried in a proper nearby cemetery and "rest in peace".
Intrusion on this skeleton may tell us something but it will be nothing useful and much will be hypothetical jibberish.
The man died 9000 years ago. No one can "claim" him except the earth.

As with all of my Nation/Religion, I have a strong aversion to disturbing the dead. No matter how long dead- what is time to the Chindli or spirit?.

I have never understood the unnatural obsession with the dead.

13 posted on 02/05/2004 8:08:31 AM PST by NativeSon
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To: sticker
Yes there is his wife, Helen Thomas.

Then can we expect that Kennewick Man died of suicide? Or perhaps he was 'nagged to death'!

14 posted on 02/05/2004 9:11:27 AM PST by Tallguy (Does anybody really think that Saddam's captor really said "Pres. Bush sends his regards"?)
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To: syriacus
religion triumphs!
Asatru priest Steve McNallen consecrates the Columbia Park ground near where Kennewick Man was found in the summer of 1996.

15 posted on 02/05/2004 9:17:45 AM PST by evets (tagline malfunction)
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To: NativeSon
But who's greater good?

Those who love knowledge.
Those who wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that the 'natives' the white man so traduced, traduced those who were pre-native.
16 posted on 02/05/2004 12:42:09 PM PST by gcruse (http://gcruse.typepad.com/)
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To: ClearCase_guy
Is Kennewick Man curently above ground? Wasn't there an "inconvenient" skeleton that was buried very, very thoroughly during the Clinton Administration?

Not sure about the actual bones, but I do recall that in the name of all that is PC they bulldozed the site and buried it under tons of fill. As archeologists will point out, sometimes excavating the site of such a find can provide a treasure trove of artifacts and associated remains, as valubale or more so than the actual remains.

Too late for any of that.

17 posted on 02/05/2004 12:52:40 PM PST by ElkGroveDan (Fighting for Freedom and Having Fun)
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To: gcruse
Those who love knowledge. Those who wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that the 'natives' the white man so traduced, traduced those who were pre-native.

Still, does not address the "greater good".

Could be that folks are looking to assuage the collective guilt gained through five centuries of genocide.

18 posted on 02/05/2004 1:12:21 PM PST by NativeSon
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To: ElkGroveDan; ClearCase_guy
The actual skeleton is intact and safe (except from the Indians' lawyers)!

The discovery site was bulldozed and wrip-wrapped with rocks by the Corps of Engineers because it didn't want to be bothered by the difficulties of dealing with the Indians' lawyers on the issue.

Meanwhile, if one of us picks up an arrowhead or digs for artifacts, we can go to jail for violating the Antiquities Act (which apparently doesn't apply to the Corps).
19 posted on 02/05/2004 1:14:43 PM PST by Bernard Marx (In theory there's no difference between theory and practice. But in practice there is.)
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To: NativeSon
Still, does not address the "greater good".

What is the 'greater good' of burying clues to the common history of mankind?
20 posted on 02/05/2004 1:15:25 PM PST by gcruse (http://gcruse.typepad.com/)
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