20th February 2009, 04:02 PM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by Oddie
Hi folks,
the decay process becomes the real issue in terms of spiritual belief.
Hi
Human remains aren't retained because people like myself get kicks from it. It is because new techniques such as isotope analysis, DNA testing, radiocarbon dating etc are continuously developing. These techniques offer amazing potential to answering really detailed questions concerning past people's lives.
These techniques have proved their potential and indeed have been carried out on remains retained from excavations decades ago showing that the policy of retention is a positive attribute.
Because decay is part of your spiritual beliefs you are requesting that human remains are not retained but allowed to decay. This means (and there's no getting round this) the potential answers concerning these people's lives cannot be realised.
The problem (as far as I see it) is that, as an archaeologist my professional ethics mean that I cannot in all conscience allow finite evidence concerning the past to be destroyed through inaction after a decision has been taken to excavate. It comes down to stewardship, and as a professional employed to steward archaeological evidence it would be remiss of me to sanction a policy that advocated deliberate decay.
In the CoBDO request the question of improving techniques is not addressed, it is discounted. Isn't this a little disingenuous considering the proof that new techniques have been and will continue to be developed?
Steven