IS IT FAIR TO DIG RELICS

[gnewt]

I would say yes, if it is not on sacred ground. Sacred ground is not always marked and some burials were done by white man or enemy and the people were put in a hole or burned. Most laws are against digging. I disagree with the law but we must obey them. Personally I have a fear of digging. I have a friend that dug years ago and has a beautiful collection of Creek and Hillabee tracks. Over the years my tracks are hidden, on rocks and beechnut trees. They are now 70 years old. I admire peoples collections.
I hope the law is changed and people can research, find history and identify burials, even put some kind of a mark down. I think most people on this net would jump at the chance. I'll bet that would get some group action going. I talked with the chief of the Cherokee in NC and I am sure he would love to see this. Anyone want to go to Washington get this started.

 

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[steve71]

There is nothing wrong with gathering ancient north American relics when one sees them.

If they aren't taken and preserved they'll be gone forever. Land development and our so-called "progress" is destroying more of these wonderful time capsules than anything else.

This 4,000 to 11,000 year old "Copper Culture" awl I'm holding was found in a flooded area in Wisconsin. Most people would think it a big nasty nail and thrown it into the trash can.

When legal, dig it.

Badger dig dig dig

 

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[Michigan Badger]

There is nothing wrong with gathering ancient north American relics when one sees them.

If they aren't taken and preserved they'll be gone forever. Land development and our so-called "progress" is destroying more of these wonderful time capsules than anything else.

This 4,000 to 11,000 year old "Copper Culture" awl I'm holding was found in a flooded area in Wisconsin. Most people would think it a big nasty nail and thrown it into the trash can.

When legal, dig it.

Badger dig dig dig

Hummm...Looks like another younger badger 8)

 

[gnewt]

That awl was a handy tool, most over the other parts of the country were bone, that copper one is rare indeed and no telling how many buffalo hides and how many holes have been punched with that. I guess all kinds of fur and clothes were made using that. My daughter has one and she uses it for everything. She made it out of some kind of bone, I got no idea. A man might have made that copper one for some of his work on em ships. I appreciate you showing that, its great.Gnewt

 

[tomclark]

That's the way to do it, Steve! Muhaha! We have more sand than dirt but that sure looks fun to me!

\

 

[Hill Billy]

Man Tom ,you go boy!I wish I was down there diggin a hole right next to ya.i sure miss digging with you guys HB

 

[tomclark]

C'mon down, HB, the weather is like Paradise right now as you know. You have some real different hunting up there. Will let you know if a Pasture of something like that opens up for us!
boom.
Tom

 

[steve71]

you said your family was from OK? so was my great great grandma her name is wilkerson they say her name is on some list.maybe we are related in some way,lol

 

[lostlake88]

This topic has surfaced before. I have dug for relics in the past, but as funny as this sounds I too fear the bad mojo or karma. I used to get a bad feeling after doing it and I must add I never found anything of significance either. 5 hours of digging for 10.00 worth of goodies, it just didn't add up for me. I don't dig anymore mainly because if I get caught I will be going to a federal prison for 5 years. I encourage everyone to research those individuals in the past that have been caught for this and what happened to them, i know many names that I will not mention. Just a few months ago 3 guys were caught picking up arrowheads along the shores of Lake Cumberland when the water level dropped 40 feet. Apperently there were relics all over the place. These guys are going to get burned bad by the Feds. Another instance occured in the Red River Gorge where two people were caught digging in a recess cave for relics, both were popped and are now twiddling their thumbs in a Kentucky federal prison for 3 years each. I think they were fined 10,000 each as well. I really don't think there is anywhere in this country where you can dig for relics on public lands. In some states like Oregon and Indiana you can't do it on private lands either. Kentucky Heritage Commission almost got their new NAGPRA law set in the legislature where it would prohibit the act of digging for relics on private land, you can thank the vandals who destroyed Slack Farm (google it). It is so so simple, it ain't worth going to jail for what you will find. Most people will eventually be reported or caught.

 

[archaeon]

the sun is going to envelop the earth one day and evreything you know and treasure will be atomized, gone forever, so what's the big deal? it's all going to be stardust again someday.

 

[Billco]

Regarding the bad karma from digging, I don't get it. Pick any populated place in America and Indian sites were dug by bigger things than shovels - like bulldozers, for example. The fact that somebody or something of higher status than the lowly arrowhead hunter authorized the destruction, doesn't change anything. I wouldn't feel any worse digging arrowheads than I would driving over an interstate that was paved over the remains of an Indian village.

I love history and think think as much of it as possible should be preserved. Europe preserves history. Main streets in Rome look like they did 500 years ago. Roads are built around ruins. We just plow right through them. I read in the paper yesterday that a landmark Birmingham hotel is going to be demolished because it "looks sixties."

Land in this country is always going to be used at its highest and best use. That means that most of it is going to be eventually be bulldozed. Waterfront, where Indians were most likely to live, is prime for the bulldozer.

There's too many Indian sites for the few who are are authorized by the gov't for documenting or saving them. I read somewhere not long ago that there is over a thousand "known" sites around Birmingham left. For every known one, there's probably dozens of unknown ones. Almost all of it is going to be bulldozed one day.

I think that government should quit worrying over somebody picking up an arrowhead on private property and spend more time and money protecting truly important sites like this:

http://www.squidoo.com/bessemeralabamamounds

 

[lostlake88]

When I said bad mojo I mean burials not villages or that stray arrowhead. Go ahead pick up that stray arrowhead, I think everyone should. I was talking specifically burial sites. Have you ever heard of Tecumseh's Curse? He cursed every Great White Father who took office on a year ending in 0. All of these presidents died in office except Reagan who was shot and clinically dead for a few minutes. We will see what happens to Bush. tecumseh specifically stated that these presidents will die, I don'y believe in coincidence. I all seriousness, messing with burials and taking their stuff is definately bad Karma.

 

[corklabus]

I noticed that Atlantis made the comment that "some are only in it for monetary gain" further back in the discussion. To this, I wondered, "So What?" If someone invests their time and effort, I see nothing wrong with them making a profit from it because in the end any given item still ends up in the hands of someone who has the intention of preserving it in some way. I see this as no different than an antique dealer hiring people to seek out items he may want to buy for his store. It's simple commerce. What the purchaser does with an item then becomes his discretion. I DO disagree with the idea of rampant destruction of sites simply for commercial gain or simple vandalism.

I also can't see why so much signifigance is placed on what we all know to be simply lost items, relics or so-called artifacts by those people who think they are Gods' gift to power, law and order. If we think about it, there are really only 535 people with whom the final responsibility for this stupidity rests. These people then totally dupe the rest of our 13million population into thinking THEY are the powers that be, when in truth they are supposed to be working for US. Now how does that make any constitutional sense ?

 

[Old Dog]

To reply to the original topic...
Yes , But only on your own land or land privately owned when you have permission.

Otherwise, You could be looking at some serious trouble
either with angry land owners or the Grabernment.

Thom

 

[Billco]

I all seriousness, messing with burials and taking their stuff is definately bad Karma.

I wouldn't dig in grave sites either. It doesn't show respect for the people who are still living that care about such things. But I really don't believe that its a sin or what you call bad karma. The fact is that all burials are temporary. Its just a matter of time - a hundred years, a thousand, ten thousand.

Dust in the wind.