Viking Burial Discovered in Scotland

[Lyle1]

I am no expert Ted and I don't want to make a big deal of this, however, I do think that delving into a grave is somehow a wee step too far, no matter how interesting it may be. I really don't know how to put my feelings exactly into words, Ted, other than I am really uneasy about these things.

I agree that it is very difficult to precisely verbalize out feelings on topics such as this, perhaps because much of our reaction to these issues is emotional rather than analytical. Maybe that emotional reaction is core to our humanity. I am certainly not afraid of what might be learned about the past, and I do not think that graves are sacrosanct, but the graves of humans and/or other sites that were once sacred to a people should be treated with respect, particularly when they are subjected to invasive examination. It is not enough to respect only what is important to ourselves, as a people or as individuals; we should also respect what is important, or what was once important, to others, regardless of our own opinions or feelings.

[Chas]

Very difficult. I do not think it is a question of time, 10 years or 100 years or 1000 years, that makes no difference. What is important to me is if there are any adherents or believers still. If there are, then the sanctity of the place or area remains. If there are no adherents or believers left then, I think, we owe it to them and to our descendants to find out as much as we can before it is all lost.

Is there a greater cruelty than deliberately wiping a tribe or race from history?

Regards

Chas

[Nick the DSM]

Very difficult. I do not think it is a question of time, 10 years or 100 years or 1000 years, that makes no difference. What is important to me is if there are any adherents or believers still. If there are, then the sanctity of the place or area remains. If there are no adherents or believers left then, I think, we owe it to them and to our descendants to find out as much as we can before it is all lost.

Is there a greater cruelty than deliberately wiping a tribe or race from history?

Regards

Chas

You've got a great point.

Think of how many of our ancestors or late family members were buried with their Scottish kit. If the internet and certain archives were suddenly wiped away, we'd have nothing to look at except the "memoirs of the past"that the deceased left behind.

[Newfoundlander]

[snip] the graves of humans and/or other sites that were once sacred to a people should be treated with respect, particularly when they are subjected to invasive examination. [snip]

I couldn't agree more.

Having been involved in a few excavations both officially as a geologist working with physical anthropologists, and as an volunteer participant in digs with archeologist friends of mine, I can say that sites involving human burial or ritual are treated with great respect indeed. The excavation is untaken with the utmost care, and the finds meticulously handled and cared for.

The remote sensing techniques I highlighted above are a few of the techniques used, and they are always the first step. And no doubt they have already been done at this site and it's progressing to excavation. That's hot they got the evidence for an metal axe, shield, and approx. 200 metal pins. Someone walked over the site with a high-resolution magnetic anomaly device. The problem again, is resolution, or lack thereof. Invasive techniques are necessary if you really want to understand. These techniques are not the "pickaxe" techniques done in ancient Egypt in the 1850's, thankfully.

Everyone I've ever met involved in this kind of work is fully aware and sensitive to the human emotional issues that will be generated in the public, and indeed, in the scientific community as well.

As a person, and as a scientist, I have a great deal of respect and trust in my colleagues that undertake this kind of work. I personally feel it's very justified and very important for society as a whole.

Again, this is just one man's opinion