Mounds

[Jed]

someone I know has told me he has found two mounds on his propriety on a all hill. He asked me if it was ok to disturb them if it's on privite propriety ? I told him I wouldn't disturb them no matter who's propriety it was on, and I also think it's illegal to disturb them on Private propriety. He lives in Ky and I'm not sure of the laws there. Any help would be great.

Jedro

 

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[Cladius]

I would think contacting the state historical dept. would be the first step. He might have something really important there! He also might have a 1950 Desoto! Cladius.

 

[boomer]

The Law and American Indian burialprotections--kentucky laws
Indian Burial and Sacred Grounds Watch page on Kentucky state law and American Indian burial protections. ... Federal laws. State laws. Some preserved sites ... Controversies Concerning Archaeology. American Indian Voices. News Archive Index ...
www.ibsgwatch.imagedjinn.com/learn/kentuckylaw.htm

 

[Jed]

Prohibits a person from willfully injuring, destroying or defacing an archaeological site or object of antiquity situated on lands owned or leased by the commonwealth or a state agency or a political subdivision of the commonwealth.

Wow. It doesn't say anything about private propriety.......

 

[RRey199]

I don't get it. You said it was on his property right? Why would he be concerned if it was his own property? Maybe I misunderstood. If it's on someone else's property, I would contact the owner for permission of course. If those mounds were on my property they'd be dug already. I would have brought a shovel to the closing.



Leave no stone unturned, no dump undug.


I just found the spellcheck!! Nice touch Marc!

 

[Jed]

I guess it's just me, I always thought it was against the law to dig up graves no matter what land it's on.

I can see now I was wrong.

Thanks

 

[dneyedli@res1.mts.net]

Well, maybe we can turn the table here, since I'm part Indian, I'll start looking for some Catholic or Protestant graves and start digging them up. I might find a gold ring on someone's finger or something else interesting. Sound crazy?
Legal or not, you are comiitting a crime towards humanity if you dig those burial mounds up. Those Aborigional dead should be given the same respect as your grandmother that is buried at the cemetary. Don't be surprised if a large group of Native Americans come pounding at your door, demanding justice. The ignorance here is downright disgusting.
I better stop now, before I get more angry. Think about my point, will ya?
Dave.

 

[Jed]

See... that's why I don't dig up graves!

 

[RRey199]

I'm somewhat confused. Did we know going into the discussion that there was a possibility that they were graves? Maybe I assumed too much, but I thought the idea was that there was a question of buried items. Re: bottle dump or past privy. I never considered they may be burial plots. Yeesh

The thought of digging up someone's great-great grandpa is less than appealing to me.

We uncovered a small graveyard up the street from me while clearing brush some years ago. We fenced it in, cleaned it up, straightened the stones and called the historic society.

 

[jeff of pa]

Altho' I personally have no intrest in digging 6 feet into the ground to look at a few bones. MY PERSONAL OPINION IS. when I'm dead, I'm not gonna know anything about my bones or past possessions, and if someone wants to dig me up. a hundred or so years from now after everyone who had known me personally is also gone,,"MORE POWER TO YA' ". I'm shure I'm gonna get alot of flack for this, BUT, if the ARCHIES, Construction Companies & Mineing intrests, can do it. and if it's not a loved one, I'v known personally, I'M not gonna lose any sleep over it. & don't say it isn't done. one of the first things told to a miner when they get hired to go into the mine is, "IF YOU FIND SOMETHING INTRESTING, KEEP IT QUIET, the last thing we want is some archie commin' in here and shutting us down" and I'm shure the construction companies, do it also. but let it be some small time detectorist or gardener, doing it for other reasons then making a fortune, in your buisness, and you'r the lowest form of life !!!! just my opinion.

 

[coinshooter]

SOunds like a good use for GPR (ground penetrating radar). 8)

 

[MrSovereign]

The aboriginal peoples are not native to America, it has been proved via Kennewick man that the first americans were Caucasian. Yet the US Government has covered it up & refuses to allow tests be done on Kennewick man.

 

[Lasivian]

Actually that's not true.

Kennewick man is now open for study.

Five tribes and the Feds have declined to appeal a court decision against them to the supreme court.

You can read the story here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2001985190_bonesed22.html

It happened very recently, so i'm not surprised you didn't know.

 

[MrSovereign]

Actually that's not true.

Kennewick man is now open for study.

Five tribes and the Feds have declined to appeal a court decision against them to the supreme court.

You can read the story here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2001985190_bonesed22.html

It happened very recently, so i'm not surprised you didn't know.

Thanks for the information

 

[RON (PA)]

Hi all,

? ? ? It could be something as trivial as a huge mound of topsoil, but not likely. Based on the fact that they are in Kentucky, they are probably Adena and/or Hopewell mounds (http://www.avoca.k12.il.us/os/mariemurphy/moundbuilders/moundbuilders.html). From what I remember from school, these mounds are used for worship and burial. Having a metal detector around a cemetary (in this case a mound) is bad. It gives the image that all metal detectorists are grave robbers and once that label is applied nobody will give permission for you to hunt.

? ? ? I'm not sure who recommend it, but I would definitly report it to the state/local historical and/or archeaological office. The archies will probably want to excavate it for the same reason: burial offerings. The anthropologists/archeaololgists will be excavate it slowly and methodically as opposed to most people hacking away the mound with shovels. After years of study, the archies will reinter the remains or display the finds in a museum in climate controlled conditions. I think this is better than having ancestoral remains sitting in a garage or attic or worse end up for sale on Ebay.

? ? ?In essence, I would find out exactly, with the help of professionals whether the mound is Adena or Hopewell, once it has been identified as belonging to a specific culture, I would read as much as I could about it. That way, we can learn and they can rest in peace. Another good mound site to visit is Cahokia Mounds (www.cahokiamounds.com).? Hope it helps.

Ron (PA)

 

[rico]

For my two cents. I've often wondered how anyone (archaeologists, etc)could rationalize digging up graves, and moving the bones to museums or for "study". Study what? I think by now forensics and science is far enough advanced that we don't need to dig up skeletons for a look see. They can't discover any new bones, etc. I wouldn't want anyone disturbing my mom's grave out of curiosity 200 years from now. That said, I have metal detected old cemeteries, in the walkway areas or beween the graves where people who came to visit have stood. I never dug, or even passed the coil over a marked grave, seemed a little intrusive, and I always did feel a little stupid wandering around a cemetery with a metal detector cause you know what someone would think. The best part was the old bottles etc I have found in the dumps near the graveyard where they threw them after having used them to hold flowers etc. That was in Arkansas. My home is in Hawaii, and in Maui, there is an old cemetery that is near the beach. Over the years the ocean has eroded away the hillside, and now the waves bring bones of all kinds including skulls rolling down the 20 or 30 foot high embankment. The people buried there are mostly Japanese ancestry. I spent the better part of a day carrying the bones back up and reburying them. Of course by that time they were pretty well mixed up.? ?

 

[bergie]

You sure it's not a big miscommunication? He may have meant the Mounds candy bars. Ask if he has any Almond Joys...

 

[diggummup]

Well,since were at this again I have to put in my two cents worth in.#1-As previously mentioned, it's a mound,there are a vast number of reasons for a mound/s.NOT ALL MOUNDS ARE SACRED INDIAN BURIAL SITES! #2-If it's on MY land,NOBODY is gonna tell me where,how,when or to what depth I can dig, period end of story.#3-The question of ethics arises, if it is a burial ground and I did find it on my property,then of course I would contact the local historical society.

 

[Gribnitz]

Couldn't a mound be a trash dump from ages ago ? A natural formation ? I think people get too worked up over this stuff. If no bones are lying around the place, it's on private property, and the owner wants the mound moved...more power to him!. Some people are saying he can't take a dozer to it to level his land ? Everytime an unusual mound is found a land owner has to wait for the local archies to arrive to get "permission" to level his property? The first bone I would happen to find would have me running for the authorities as I sure wouldn't want a bunch of skeletons in my backyard, but give me a break. It's private property. I find bones in my yard, move them out of there to someplace zoned for burial.

 

[tennessee jed]

hey, i have it,you could sell it to the people that are bent out of shape about it!civil war battlefields are not being cut any slack.malls,stores,houses and banks.i live about forty miles from franklin Tennessee and to see were the battle had taken place you have to stand in someones back yard this is my peoples struggle and a native American could buy one of those houses or build a mall.how would that go over? i think much better than diggin up a mound by some farmer that is going to plant corn. this is my take.