"‘Really incredible’ sixth-century sword found in Kent" Topic

Sword is among striking objects unearthed from Anglo-Saxon cemetery near Canterbury

The Guardian: link

Good find!

Seems a little like grave robbing. When exactly is it okay to start digging up people and objects from a grave? In the U.S. there is the NAGPRA law that prevents the digging at Native American graves. Previous removed items have to be returned to the tribes.

UK guidance:
"Research excavation of unthreatened burial grounds or areas of burial grounds is only acceptable if interments are more than 100 years old, and the proposed work is acceptable to the living close families of those who are buried, if known."

I think you'll find the practice of archaeology generally involves digging up dead people.

As a point of clarification, NAGPRA does not prohibited digs -- it lists the process that must be followed to dig on federal or Indian land. Also, it does not apply to state land or private property.

Don't worry Old Contemptible- the people in the cemetery are our tribe!

" Seems a little like grave robbing. When exactly is it okay to start digging up people and objects from a grave? In the U.S. there is the NAGPRA law that prevents the digging at Native American graves. Previous removed items have to be returned to the tribes."

🤔

So ….,

Items must be "returned to the tribes".

So all "native Americans" are the same? You dig up a Hopewell object, you must return it to a shawnee, Apache, etc., tribal member? How are they directly related, other than some common DNA? If I was to find a Hopewell or Adena cultural item in Ohio and are told to give it to the Shawnee tribe because they were last in this area, how does that make sense? The Shawnee came into Ohio at the invitation of the Miami, to be a buffer. I believe they came up from the Carolinas.

So all caucasians are the same? You find a Roman sword in Egypt, it must be returned to the nearest Caucasian? By the logic of the US law, it makes as much sense.

So if you miraculously find an Aztec artifact in the Dakotas, just hand it over to the nearest Sioux tribal member. They are all the same. 😉

That is because the whole argument over cultural "ownership" is highly specious and by itself, disturbingly racist. Current "insert applicable" are as much Ancient "applicable" as I am a Martian – the argument makes no sense; they were not born "Ancient applicable" and the genetics are probably spread all over the map. At best, they may bare a few more physical resemblances, but are otherwise a product of the modern world, just like everyone else on this mudball.

The only truth is in finder's keepers.