Boy finds 5,000-year-old bison skull--Now called 'Bradford Bison'

Capital Times ^ | 12-11-05 | Mike Miller

[indcons]

Might be of interest for the GGG list

[marktwain]

What! No prosecution for desecrating a sacred ancient Indian hunting site, or removal of federally controlled fossils?

What is happening to the world, when a man and a boy can find a fossil and simply take it out of the ground without prosecution. This is unacceptable!

Sarcasm Off.

[Pablo64]

Cool. Do you know if there are any pictures available online?

[RedBeaconNY]

Moo!

[1rudeboy]

I'm off to play in the mud now. bttt

[SJackson]

None of the stories had pictures with them.

[ozaukeemom]

Wow! My sis lives in Prairie du Sac. I am going to see what all she knows about this. Interesting.

[FReepaholic]

Here's a photo from a Google search for "bison occidentalis". Not the one in the story, though. This one was found in the Arkansas River in Oklahoma according to the website:

[WorkingClassFilth]

Bob then made what was a very good decision. About a week after the discovery he took what would turn out to be a bison head to Verlyn Mueller, the archivist at the Prairie du Sac Historical Society. Mueller suggested they call the State Historical Society and that's when Broihahn, whose post is within the society, got into the act...the find also points out the importance of individuals who make such discoveries to bring them to the attention of the archeologists. We couldn't do our job as effectively if people didn't bring these things to us," Broihahn said."

The find of this skull is great, just great, but as long as legal matters of ownership are clear, what people want to do with this stuff is, well, up to them. It is interesting to me that this article stresses, and then repeats, the necessity of turning over these relics to the state.

It seems to me that there is an increasing trend to this kind of paternalism where these kind of episodes occur. One science teacher I know hunts fossils on private property and tells of efforts by academics and governmental bodies to declare such finds as 'public domain' and, therefore, subject to state ownership. I have read at least two stories about finds on private property in Britain where the state is considered the lawful owner. In one case, a man found a cache of Roman coins in his own backyard.

This seems to be an extension of the efforts of the government to gain de facto control over land through onerous regulation and layers of treaties and extra-governmental agreements. Ramping up these kind of cases and stressing the need to be a 'good citizen' by turning to the state seems ominous to me. Ultimately, we may face a European model where seizing private property under the guise of precious artifacts or historical items worthy of public control is one more facet of a larger campaign to legitimize the loss of individual rights.

Just my $0.02.

[apackof2]

because he couldn't play high-tech games, made the archeological find of the year

The possibilites are endless when kids get off the 'puter and out of the house to play outdoors

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Josh was on an outing with Bob Weiss, 63, a Prairie du Sac insurance man who was paired with Josh as part of the Kids Companion program ....

Somehow I don't like the sound of that.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks indcons.

Just adding this to the GGG catalog, not sending a general distribution.

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

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[Willie Green]

Bob at first thought it was an ox. An exciting find, but not an especially rare one.

Sounds similar to a blind date a former friend once set me up with.

As I was walking down the street,
Down the street, down the street,
A pretty little gal I chanced to meet,
Oh, she was fair to see.

Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, come out tonight.
Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon.

I stopped her and we had a talk,
Had a talk, had a talk,
Her feet took up the whole sidewalk
And left no room for me.

Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight...

[SmoothTalker]

"Josh was on an outing with Bob Weiss, 63, a Prairie du Sac insurance man who was paired with Josh as part of the Kids Companion program ....

Somehow I don't like the sound of that."

I have no problem with that at all. Just because he is doing something with an older man doesn't mean that man is a homosexual pedophile. Father figures are very important and millions of young men have been helped on the right path by older men who take an interest in their well being. My church sponsers a "big brother" program and it has done an unbelivable amount of good for at-risk youths in our community. We've never had a single incident.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

My church sponsers a "big brother" program and it has done an unbelivable amount of good for at-risk youths in our community. We've never had a single incident.

Well, I agree with you, and of course I was only trying to elicit a chuckle with my observation. However, your church would be well advised not to take things for granted. Let's put it this way: if you want to go polar-bear hunting, you're not going to go into the Amazonian rainforest. And your average pedo isn't going to put in his volunteer hours down at the senior center.

[teacherwoes]

I suppose taking the skull to school for show-and-tell is out of the question.

[SJackson]

I don't know anything about the program, but a quick search shows it's affiliated with other schools and Church groups, and has been recognized by the State in the past, so I wouldn't be concerned that it's not a legitimate undertaking.

[Thumper1960]

Josh was on an outing with Bob Weiss, 63, a Prairie du Sac insurance man who was paired with Josh as part of the Kids Companion program ....

Somehow I don't like the sound of that.

According to the article, " The program is a local version of the better known Big Brothers Big Sisters program." Why does this bother you?

[SmoothTalker]

"However, your church would be well advised not to take things for granted."

We screen pretty carefully and would shut down any bad situation in a second. No catholic scenario here. I suppose their is a small risk, but whats the alternative? Stop any program that involves any man working with children? Just shut down youth sports teams, and big brothers and all that? That would have a lot of negative effects on society at large.