So, a bunch of guys equip themselves with shovels and then proceed to dig up a grave of a boy in order to nab any loot that was buried with him. They find the booty that they were searching for and will eventually sell it for a handsome profit. Heck, to get even more money for their efforts they even take the guys remains and put him on a world tour for yokels who are willing to pay $30 a pop in order to see a corpse. Sound morbid? Sound unethical? Sound illegal? Sound like grave robbing? Hell no! It's not any of those things because this is what we call archeology...wink,wink.
The dead guy that I just wrote about was the late boy-king of ancient Egypt named Tutankhamun, or King Tut. His remains and possessions went on a second world tour in 2004 and his new owners, the Egyptian government, raked in $10,000,000 profit in each American city where he was displayed. The exhumation and molesting of his final resting place was not only legal but publicly celebrated. Heck, Steve Martin even glorified it in his hit song with nifty lyrics like, "Now if I'd known, they'd line up just to see him.I'd have taken all my money,And bought me a museum!
Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia, King Tut".
Yet the definition of grave robbing according to Wikipedia reads, "Grave robbing, grave robbery or tomb raiding is the act of uncovering a tomb or crypt to steal the artifacts (as illicit antiquities) inside or disinterring a corpse to steal the body itself or its personal effects. Someone who engages in this act is a grave robber or tomb raider". OK, so what is the definition of an archeology then? They say,"...is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, features, biofacts, and landscapes. Because archaeology's aim is to understand humankind, it is a humanistic endeavor". I like how they sugar coat the moral sleaziness of the profession in the last sentence.
What this boils down to is that if you have a PhD in front of your name you can feel free to rape the final resting places of people as long as the government or a museum gets the coin. What is horrifying is the vagueness of how long the deceased must be in the ground before you can molest their remains. Apparently there is no set standard ether legally or professionally for and "archeologist" to go by. I've been reading into it it seems all you need is an advanced degree and an ok form the government and you are on your way. No regards to religious beliefs or the sanctity of ceremonial burial are required as you are doing it in the name of science and profit.
So when you, dear reader, take that final jaunt in you own life cycle be sure to stick it to the man one last time; don't take any valuables and do the cremation thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment