Archeologist Make Couple Pay $5,000

Ace350

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http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/ontario-couple-finds-400-old-skeleton-gets-5-141737421.html


Ontario couple finds 400-year-old skeleton, gets $5,000 bill

A Canadian couple who recently stumbled upon a 400-year-old skeleton is now saddled with a $5,000 bill, the Star reports.

Two weeks ago, Ken Campbell of Sarnia, Ontario, came upon some bones while digging postholes in his backyard. His wife, Nicole Sauve, encouraged him to unearth the rest of the skeleton.

Ontario police, who cordoned off the area, called up forensic anthropologist Michael Spence to examine the site. Spence told the Star that the skeleton is likely that of a 24-year-old aboriginal woman who died in the late 1500s or early 1600s. Spence then contacted the Registrar of Cemeteries, which told Sauve that she and Campbell would have to hire an archeologist to examine the rest of the backyard—at their expense.

According to the Star, property owners are legally responsible to pay for such an assessment "if human remains are found on their land."

Stuck with a $5,000 bill, Sauve appealed to the mayor of Sarnia but has yet to get a clear answer about whether the government will pay. According to the Star, she might be able to make a request to the Registrar of Cemeteries to cover the costs.

Sauve told the Star that people have been telling her if they wind up in a similar situation, they won’t risk getting a bill by telling the authorities about their finds.

“This is awful,” said Sauve. “God forbid you have a murder victim, and you cover them up.”
 

Moral of the story? When you find bones (or coins or buttons or anything), keep your mouth shut. The same problem could happen to any of us, if you found a IH or buffalo nickel at any beach or sandbox, if you paraded it around enough archies, I bet the same thing would happen. And "bones" are only worse. Heaven help you if you bother an indian bone.

I work in road paving construction, and I can tell you for a fact, that when developers see any type of indian stuff, the discreetly cover it back up, and don't make waves.
 

Archeologist Make Couple Pay $5,000


no...seems some other agency is responsible..."""Spence then contacted the Registrar of Cemeteries, which told Sauve that she and Campbell would have to hire an archeologist """

plus, any time human remains are found, anywhere in the united states, ....the authorities, whomever they be...require notification...
the so called injured party, was responsible for disturbing a grave, or a crime scene.

are you suggesting that one is to ignore the human remains, for a few beads or buttons?

{ I guess, I am overwhelmed by how people despise those with an education...
 

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That is why i always say keep your mouth shut......... And never tell .. WHAT , WHEN OR , WERE........... JUST LIKE MY SIGNATURE BELOW HAS ALWAYS SAID........
 

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Yep,
those types of outcomes, does not seem to promote mutually beneficial cooperation, among peoples.
 

Archeologist Make Couple Pay $5,000


no...seems some other agency is responsible..."""Spence then contacted the Registrar of Cemeteries, which told Sauve that she and Campbell would have to hire an archeologist """

plus, any time human remains are found, anywhere in the united states, ....the authorities, whomever they be...require notification...
the so called injured party, was responsible for disturbing a grave, or a crime scene.

are you suggesting that one is to ignore the human remains, for a few beads or buttons?

{ I guess, I am overwhelmed by how people despise those with an education...

secret-canyon, your voice is well needed here. Glad you're on this forum, to add balanced comment, from the archaeological view-point. Because, go figure, this being a metal-detecting forum .... would be over-whelmingly on the side of the private collector/digger. So it's good to hear from an alternative viewpoint. Thanx.

Now with that said, to answer your points here on this one: I don't think it's so much "despising those with an education", as it is, the net-outcome of what happened here. Sure, I can understand how it might be a law to "alert authorities if you find bones" (afterall, there might be foul play, a past murder, or some such reasons for those laws). But if the finder can be reasonably certain they're 100's of years old, and if an outcome like this is a potential (to be saddled with a bill), then ....... can you blame someone for just covering it back up, and looking the other way?
 

well tom, I found a human skull once...nasty things...I called friends up in hopi-land and requested they come get it...native grave reparations act...
it was a mad house.
never recommend it, being a veteran, I am allergic to government forms ...hordes of raving mad hopi going door to door in Jerome..."where the rest of him?" "you can't sell that, it is a religious artifact"...
guess they went loco, since they rarely have anyone call an beg to give their ancestors back...in pieces.
but then...it is what one is to do, when you find humans decomposing...


{ I been treasure hunting since I was 10...grew up in the shadow of the superstition mountains...}
 

Wish I had known, they could have thrown it in my backyard with the rest of the bodies I've been collecting. It's just way too expensive these days to be a responsible person.
 

I think if the bones were not of anyone of our century and were of any significance that the financial responsibility should be on the archeologist. For they are the ones who are truly interested in the finds. The funds could come from universities or museums or the government. I'm sure they might even be able to get archeological students to volunteer their time.
There are human remains buried all over this planet since man has existed. The people who dug them up had no idea the remains were there so it is not their fault so why should they bare the financial responsibility. If they have to pay for the excavation and the finds are of value then it should be theirs to sell. I would say that the only stipulation is that they could only sell it to museums or universities or other such entities.
 

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Archeologist Make Couple Pay $5,000


no...seems some other agency is responsible..."""Spence then contacted the Registrar of Cemeteries, which told Sauve that she and Campbell would have to hire an archeologist """

plus, any time human remains are found, anywhere in the united states, ....the authorities, whomever they be...require notification...
the so called injured party, was responsible for disturbing a grave, or a crime scene.

are you suggesting that one is to ignore the human remains, for a few beads or buttons?

{ I guess, I am overwhelmed by how people despise those with an education...

Sorry ? What does an education have to do with anything ?

that is, other then the people with said education, are the people saying
they aren't willing to be responsible for the costs & are pushing it on the land owners,
who may or may not have an education.

I do have a problem with people who believe their station in life gives them
the right to run other peoples lives. if that's anti Educated ?
guilty :laughing7:
 

well jeff...I see a recurring sub-text within many posts...
directed at the "archies"... I have actually read others post, how an education doesn't make archies special...
and how it is all their fault one can not dig with impunity.

when someone "finds" a pocket full of change, a pocket knife, and seven uniform buttons...but no bones...that is dishonest at the least...horrific at best.

but...then. it takes all kinds eh?

and jeff...what I said was it wasn't the archies fault this person had to pay $5,000.oo...
it was the person who continued to dig a set of human remains, without contacting the local authorities...
one phone call, and others would have dug that spot...an cost him nothing.
 

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well jeff...I see a recurring sub-text within many posts...
directed at the "archies"... I have actually read others post, how an education doesn't make archies special...
and how it is all their fault one can not dig with impunity.

when someone "finds" a pocket full of change, a pocket knife, and seven uniform buttons...but no bones...that is dishonest at the least...horrific at best.

but...then. it takes all kinds eh?


So you're implying grave robbing is a common thing on this forum? Or did I miss your point?
 

well jeff...I see a recurring sub-text within many posts...
directed at the "archies"... I have actually read others post, how an education doesn't make archies special...
and how it is all their fault one can not dig with impunity.

when someone "finds" a pocket full of change, a pocket knife, and seven uniform buttons...but no bones...that is dishonest at the least...horrific at best.

but...then. it takes all kinds eh?

I agree an education should not make an archie special.
simply because it makes their head swell.


and when someone "finds" a pocket full of change, a pocket knife, and seven uniform buttons...but no bones..
that's a cool find ! plain & simple.

when someone "finds" a pocket full of change, a pocket knife, and seven uniform buttons.., and Bones,
that's something to report When the finder is given respect, Not a Financial
& Legal assault by So called Educated
Authorities.

I hope the way I put this makes sense :icon_thumright:
 

when someone "finds" a pocket full of change, a pocket knife, and seven uniform buttons...but no bones...that is dishonest at the least...horrific at best.

Secretcanyon, I do not understand your statement. Could you elaborate?

Going by your statement above.......how do you know it wasn't left behind by a soldier during a hasty retreat during battle?
It might have been left behind while on a forced march on a hot day.
My point is that it doesn't necessarily mean it is a grave. Unless of course you are on a known battlefield site.
Even then with no bones it could have been simply discarded during the battle.
Don't misunderstand, I certainly do not condone grave robbing.
We take oil from the ground that consists of the remains of past life on this earth.
Whatever we take from this earth we will enviably give back when we perish and the cycle will go on.
 

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I have a problem with the situation in general, but on top of that, government has no problem digging on your land for free if it's part of an investigation and I highly doubt the property owner pays for that. So it seems like the circumstances change depending on who initiates the process. You could find a member of a family who were all murdered, and I bet you wouldn't have to pay when the police started searching for the other victims. So what is the difference?
 

Secretcanyon, I do not understand your statement. Could you elaborate?

Going by your statement above.......how do you know it wasn't left behind by a soldier during a hasty retreat during battle?
It might have been left behind while on a forced march on a hot day.
My point is that it doesn't necessarily mean it is a grave.
Don't misunderstand, I certainly do not condone grave robbing.
We take oil from the ground that consists of the remains of past life on this earth.
Whatever we take from this earth we will enviably give back when we perish and the cycle will go on.

and when your in a field that was plowed many times,
or woods where animals prowled for years, anything is possible.
 

thank you for ignoring my point...

the archies had nothing to do with the five thousand dollar amount...

done...thank you.


Actually the title is correct, it's how you want to read it. They could dig it for free, but choose to make the couple pay. I'm guessing that's probably the weekend rate.
 

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thank you for ignoring my point...

the archies had nothing to do with the five thousand dollar amount...

done...thank you.

if that's the case, oops :laughing7:

So your saying the archie doesn't need to be paid $5,000.00 to do a Dig ( assessment)

& your saying Archies love their job so much, they are willing to find history for free,
& on their own dime like us... right ?

again Sorry ! apparently I got archies all wrong :o
 

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