Little Things You Hate

Haakon

Haakon

has an accommodating arse
Zaf said:
Well, no it wasn't, because the Act doesn't allow for renegotiation upon new discovery.
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Yes. I believe that is the point. Whats yours?

Let me put it another way - regardless of any legalities, do you think it was ok blowing that site up given what was known about it?

This is the issue. Not whether they were legally/technically allowed to (thats been noted), but whether thats a fucked up thing to do and a prime example of why Labour had intended to change the laws.
 
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Haakon

Haakon

has an accommodating arse
Zaf said:
Disregarding the law?! Oof!! I'll try.
But first I will say, from a legal perspective if you have a valuable antique, sell it for $10 and later find it's worth well in excess of that, it's not the responsibility of the new owner to renegotiate with you what they're planning to do with what you sold them.

Morally, yeah it's reprehensible that it has been destroyed. But those are the pitfalls of an oral tradition, it's all subject to someones memory and their ability to convey it to the next person. It's a take on the tree falling moral argument; if something is sacred and nobody's around to know that it's sacred anymore, is it still sacred?

Also, do yourself a favour and watch Generation Kill.
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I think you're still missing the point a bit. This is not an antique vase... Nor is really anything to do with the local aboriginals.

This is a significant archaeological find of interest to the world, no different to the vineyard in Verona. It highlights a significant failing of our laws protecting significant sites that are of value to the nation and humanity in general, and the cynical greed of resources companies and our current political class.

This is up there with blowing up historical sites in the middle east and no less reprehensible.
 
Dales Cannon

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
A greenfield project I was involved with some 15 years ago held a cultural heritage interest. Two groups were listed as having significant interest while 3 or 4 others had passing affiliation. The project went ahead provided anything culturally significant was recorded and relocated. All good so far. A bit of employment as well as preserving the heritage. Except, nothing significant was there (key person from the interested group) because the previous owners who were farmers had stripped it clean years before. Still small sharp stones and marked trees were documented and relocated. Trees were barely 75 years old and the same spokesperson considered the marks were made by dozers clearing the brigalow. Anyway a year or so down the track and a properly significant site was found during excavations for some earthworks. Very interesting, caves and painting. So what is being done I asked? Earthworks replanned and lots moved to preserve the caves. Very good. Will they be fenced off and available for public viewing? No. The caves were mapped with lasers, a model, maybe 1:10 was cast and photographs taken. The caves were filled with concrete to preserve them! Fucking bullshit. The idea of the model and pictures was to create a display in the local town. Never happened. This was a labour state govt project! Indigenous groups were happy with the outcome. Weird.
 
Haakon

Haakon

has an accommodating arse
Dales Cannon said:
A greenfield project I was involved with some 15 years ago held a cultural heritage interest. Two groups were listed as having significant interest while 3 or 4 others had passing affiliation. The project went ahead provided anything culturally significant was recorded and relocated. All good so far. A bit of employment as well as preserving the heritage. Except, nothing significant was there (key person from the interested group) because the previous owners who were farmers had stripped it clean years before. Still small sharp stones and marked trees were documented and relocated. Trees were barely 75 years old and the same spokesperson considered the marks were made by dozers clearing the brigalow. Anyway a year or so down the track and a properly significant site was found during excavations for some earthworks. Very interesting, caves and painting. So what is being done I asked? Earthworks replanned and lots moved to preserve the caves. Very good. Will they be fenced off and available for public viewing? No. The caves were mapped with lasers, a model, maybe 1:10 was cast and photographs taken. The caves were filled with concrete to preserve them! Fucking bullshit. The idea of the model and pictures was to create a display in the local town. Never happened. This was a labour state govt project! Indigenous groups were happy with the outcome. Weird.
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Covering stuff back up again is pretty common. There is a cool Roman town on Mallorca i visited recently that was discovered last century when they did excavations for a road i think, but they kept some of the more interesting parts on display (its an odd feeling sitting on the terraces of a 3000yo amphitheatre....) but most of the town was covered back up again and handed back to the farmers. A metre or two of topsoil preserves things.

I stay out of the aboriginal side of things, I get myself into trouble. I dont understand it, and im just not very interested. Im not very interested in a lot of cultures. But this one speaks to the science nerd in me - its ancient history of the species, kinda bugs me it gets caught up in the politics of indigenous heritage stuff.
 
Dales Cannon

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
It would have been easy to fence an access and around the site. Pretty poor result really. I reckon concrete is a pretty permanent covering... At least I saw it when it was opened up. Bit like the caves near Bourke. Nothing momentous in terms of anthropology but still a bit special. Anyways not my concern then or now.
 
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