Sat in front of the TV earlier with my tea on my lap I searched through the TV channels to find something to watch. I came across an episode of Time Team and thought that will do me. Only managed to catch the last 15 minutes or so but something has stayed with me since I finished watching it.
Now I know this topic has been brought up many times, I've even read some articles on it myself, but due to reading lately of stiff debating about archaeologists and metal detectorists about who does what right or wrong, which I have tried to keep out of, I feel that I just have to write this post.
Those few minutes of Time Team I watched showed them examining the contents of four Anglo Saxon graves they had come across. I quietly sat there watching them tear these skeletons to bits, (although carefully), placing the skulls in one box, limbs in other boxes. Then proceed to remove the grave goods. Yes I've seen clips of this happening many a time before, but tonight I saw it in a different light.
For some reason it looked so sinister, so very wrong. Here were laid four people, carefully laid to rest by their loved ones, goods placed carefully to assist them on their journey into the unknown. I bet the mourners never thought for one moment that these dead family members would be dug up and their skulls sat on a museum shelf and their limbs stored in a drawer while their goods are taken away.
My wife who was sat there on her laptop must have been watching it herself and piped up and said, "They should leave them be".
Now I for one can say if ever I came across a grave I could never disturb it. Its just feels so wrong regardless of how much historic info we could get from it.
Just my opinion, I'm not calling archaeologists grave robbers, as they disturb the graves for historic info as regards profit, but at the end of the day, they seem pretty close to the same.
I understand where you are coming from with this, it is sad too see. I feel there are times it may be necessary ( during construction work for example) but for a not necessary dig I think its wrong. However detectorists can be just as bad, take the roman lead coffin for example. Great post janner
ReplyDeleteTrue Andy, I like to think that the spirit/soul of the dead person has moved on to a better place and all that's left behind is just bones and not the person.
DeleteHi what was your take on the Nazi diggers on the forum i was shocked my self did not bode well for detector users.
DeleteI will admit I didn't like what I saw in that clip. It seemed the diggers were just let loose to do and dig where and how they wanted. That's how it came across. I have the greatest respect for the two diggers from the forum who were involved, getting to know them through the forum itself. They have done a lot for metal detecting so it beats me how they got into that situation in the first place. I can't help thinking that it was staged to gain some publicity for the coming series, not from them, but from the TV company funding it. Except, it gained more than they thought and has now gone way over the top.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing the whole thing and hoping it will calm the fears we have seen from a lot of people. Too early to make any judgement yet.
As for disturbing the graves which I don't like seeing I feel its a bit different here as these people were killed recently in the history scale of things. With ancient burials, which I don't like seeing disturbed, they are normally laid to rest in their own homeland, a proper burial, a closure for the relatives, but most of these poor souls who recently died in battle are miles from their homeland, missing in action, no proper burial and no closure for relatives who are still alive today. Here in modern times its common practice to bring a soldier home for a proper burial which I hope this coming program is about.
The opening words on the site of the clip states:
"We headed to the battlefields of the Eastern Front on a special mission. We wanted to uncover the less well-known stories of World War Two before they are looted or lost over time. Our aim was to excavate battle relics - handing them over to the authorities for safe keeping and burying the dead with honour.
This isn’t an average day out metal detecting.
We worked alongside organisations that are licensed to dig battlefield sites, operating only with permission from their governments. Our permits had to be approved by many different authorities and take months, sometimes years, to obtain".
That statement takes care of a lot of questions people have about the program, and backed up by the two diggers themselves on the forum, so until it has been viewed, how can anyone judge it.
The thought of looters getting to these dead soldiers far outweighs anything bad we will see in this program I am sure.
I see the blog has be taken off the forum.I will watch the shows lets hope they show us in a good light as we need all the support we can get from the general public.I would hate all of use to vied as grave robbers it is hard enough to get a site so fingers crossed bud.
ReplyDeleteToo right Chris, The anti-detecting brigade are having a field day with this one. Could be a good thing for detecting really because if the program comes across as promised and shows why it has to be done because of illegal looters, and they see detectorists acting in a respectable way in dealing with these fallen soldiers the general public will wonder what all the fuss was about. As you say, fingers crossed.
DeleteI see they have pulled the plug on it.
ReplyDeleteYes a pity that, I suppose we'll never know now how it would have come across. What is concerning now is all the publicity about it may encourage more looting of the sites.
DeleteI think it goes a lot there you will never stop them.
ReplyDeleteToo right Chris, far to big a scale to police it.
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