Why is it not grave robbery to take artefacts from ancient graves and put them in a museum?
Why is it not grave robbery to take artefacts from ancient graves and put them in a museum?
As I was reading about the Valley of the Kings again, I wonder why that was actually legal.
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If you ask native Americans, it is. Source: listened to stories from one
Yeah, but those greaves are a part of a still existing culture and religion/beliefs, I don't think it's the case with the ancient Egypt, Vikings graves etc
That shouldnt matter. It remains an arbitrary decision by the living, who have no way of calling in the opinion of the deceased.
When coming across a burial site while doing archeological digging just restore it and move on.
The dignity of a human doesnt go away because people think his culture doesnt exist anymore.
in the U.S we have the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), passed in 1990, requires museums and federal agencies to return Native American human remains and cultural items to their tribes. It’s all about respecting Indigenous heritage by ensuring that these items are returned to their rightful communities.
passed in 1990
Yeah it's all about respecting indigenous heritage, sure. Remind me again, in which year they dismantled the genocider statues at Rushmore?
In 2023, the US government returned the remains of some children who were sent to the boarding schools (it's still ongoing). Aside from the bones of children, there were also animal bones. Why were there animal bones mixed in? Because the children's remains were pulled from where the school's rubbish was buried. Separating the bones after all this time would be difficult.
I can think of no better reflection of how the US government treats indigenous people wherever it encounters them. Indigenous Americans have probably received some of the worst treatment. As always, actions speak louder than words.
If you had actually ASKED the Sioux of the Black Hills about this, you'd know they've told pretty much everyone "yeah we don't like Mt Rushmore, we don't like Crazy Horse's relief carving either, but we think destroying them is more disrespectful than just leaving them to fall apart on their own." Like, this isn't an uncommon thought. It's just more complex than "blow them up".