Have seen a recent licence granted by the Dept of Justice.......states that reburial within two years is expected but can be extended. Also states that the foggy state of current "legislation" is under review. I would argue on a couple of points here:
1. Are the Dept of Justice in a position to dictate what form the "reburial" should take? Whatever the form they determine-it`s likely to be so far removed from the belief systems of the communities that buried the individuals in the first place to be offensive. Most excavation of Human remains (with the exception of university and research excavations) is undertaken only when the remains are under imminent threat through development. As a result-the ground the individuals were interred in will no longer exist. Just where do the men in suits suggest the "reburials" take place?
2. Not all Human remains are subjected to competent professional examination in the first instance. Reburial after such would ultimately result in an incomplete or indeed utterly skewed archive that cannot then be calibrated through re-assessment by competent practitioners. Further research that aims to investigate elements of osteology and palaeopathology not covered by the initial examination would be impossible. New scientific approaches as they come along could not then be applied either. If this is to be the case-then don`t exhume Human remains at all.
The new "legislation" as outlined by the Dept of Justice is simply nonsense. Clearly-the Dept has not consulted with professionals on this matter and it`s high time that they did. Yet another example of shiney assed office workers indulging in grand gestures without engaging the neural pathways.Oh, and by the way, if the Dept are intent upon enforcing these new rules-they can fund the proper examination and subsequent publications relating to the hundreds(if not thousands) of individuals excavated donkeys years ago by emminent archaeologists who have simply left the remains to fester in boxes for decades because they can`t be bothered.:face-stir:
:face-stir:
1. Are the Dept of Justice in a position to dictate what form the "reburial" should take? Whatever the form they determine-it`s likely to be so far removed from the belief systems of the communities that buried the individuals in the first place to be offensive. Most excavation of Human remains (with the exception of university and research excavations) is undertaken only when the remains are under imminent threat through development. As a result-the ground the individuals were interred in will no longer exist. Just where do the men in suits suggest the "reburials" take place?
2. Not all Human remains are subjected to competent professional examination in the first instance. Reburial after such would ultimately result in an incomplete or indeed utterly skewed archive that cannot then be calibrated through re-assessment by competent practitioners. Further research that aims to investigate elements of osteology and palaeopathology not covered by the initial examination would be impossible. New scientific approaches as they come along could not then be applied either. If this is to be the case-then don`t exhume Human remains at all.
The new "legislation" as outlined by the Dept of Justice is simply nonsense. Clearly-the Dept has not consulted with professionals on this matter and it`s high time that they did. Yet another example of shiney assed office workers indulging in grand gestures without engaging the neural pathways.Oh, and by the way, if the Dept are intent upon enforcing these new rules-they can fund the proper examination and subsequent publications relating to the hundreds(if not thousands) of individuals excavated donkeys years ago by emminent archaeologists who have simply left the remains to fester in boxes for decades because they can`t be bothered.:face-stir:
:face-stir: