Recently there has been an uproar on the net and in media about a now
cancelled TV show. I guess you all know what I`m on about. The "whole" world
agreed to that the way the show was presented was so bad taste that it just had
to be pulled.
Legenda , that had been asked to supervise this is also very upset
about the way things was done. A lot of the focus from the archaeology
offices was turned towards Legenda and many other soldier recovery groups
that work in Russia and eastern Europe , and methodology is centre of the
debate. As I am new to the group and not a proffessional archaeologist I`ll
leave that debate for the ones with more excperience and training.
But one thing about that is that thousands of WWI and WWII bodies
are regularly discovered and exhumed in a similar manner all
over Europe by digger groups and offical organisations such as the Volksbund . If the
bones are turned over to a cemetery , and any items usefull for identification
are passed on to the authorities , then what they are doing is acceptable , and is
not graverobbing or desecrations. Many archaeologists and history enthusiats in the world
living far from the battle areas , don`t realise that in many parts of Europe the
ground is full of of bodies , it is such a wast number that they can not all be exhumed in
a textbook manner.
What I am thinking about is how many people from the
"archaeologist-academic" world is adressing us. We are being called graverobbers
, looters , treasure hunters and that we have no respect for the dead. Also in
the same forums and discussion threads there is a lot of threats , deaththreats
and the sorts directed towards us. I find it interesting that not a single
one of all the threats and deaththreats I`ve seen posted has been
adressed by anyone , so you are silently accepting that kind of behaviour. I am
quite disappointed , I would have expected more if you have such high morale as
you preach in comment fields.
So , these diggers spend most of their free time doing research ,
seeking landowners and trying to find places fallen might still lay. They spend
their own money on equipment , fuel for cars and travel. They walk , search and
work full days in often hard to reach areas in difficult terrain , in rock hard
soil and water filled marshes. They choose to do this in the hope to bring
another fallen soldier home because they believe he deserves a named grave , his
family deserves a closure to a 70 year open wound. They do this the legal way ,
they have themselves contacted authorities and have always wanted to do this
work in the correct way , and believe me , there is enough of the ones that
don`t care about such and really only dig for their own collections or for
selling. Legenda has always tried to "turn" such people and show them the right
way to do things as contacting authorities when bodies is found.
For me this is not disrespecting the dead. Yes , we might shout and
dance when we find a fallen , specially when we know he ll be identified by a
nametag or similar , it is a very normal release after many many hours hard
work.
I was invited to Legenda and have done this work with them several
times and seen how it s done , and the little video clips causing the uproar is
really not representative for what is going on. I have not been just given a
shovel and asked to pull bones out of the ground. I have been closely supervised
and instructed by the boss of the group and most experienced digger , and if I`m
not digging I am sifting through soil where the boss is digging to
ensure nothing is lost and left behind , and the whole process is often filmed
and photographed.
Legenda has responded to some of these forums by inviting
proffessionals to participate and work together to improve the methodology and
quality of the work. Seeing how engaged the archaeologist
community have been writing angry comments I would think some of them
really was serious about this sort of work as it must be a great
experience for them as well doing this work , but of all the hundreds active in
the comment fields there seems to be mostly internet warriors and desk-chair
archaeologists since very few has responded to the invitations.
I really urge you to look past your hurt feelings and seek out a digger
group if you want to do something positive. Most of these groups is volunteer
and is often underfunded and would probably be as welcoming as Legenda has been
towards me.
- inka
cancelled TV show. I guess you all know what I`m on about. The "whole" world
agreed to that the way the show was presented was so bad taste that it just had
to be pulled.
Legenda , that had been asked to supervise this is also very upset
about the way things was done. A lot of the focus from the archaeology
offices was turned towards Legenda and many other soldier recovery groups
that work in Russia and eastern Europe , and methodology is centre of the
debate. As I am new to the group and not a proffessional archaeologist I`ll
leave that debate for the ones with more excperience and training.
But one thing about that is that thousands of WWI and WWII bodies
are regularly discovered and exhumed in a similar manner all
over Europe by digger groups and offical organisations such as the Volksbund . If the
bones are turned over to a cemetery , and any items usefull for identification
are passed on to the authorities , then what they are doing is acceptable , and is
not graverobbing or desecrations. Many archaeologists and history enthusiats in the world
living far from the battle areas , don`t realise that in many parts of Europe the
ground is full of of bodies , it is such a wast number that they can not all be exhumed in
a textbook manner.
What I am thinking about is how many people from the
"archaeologist-academic" world is adressing us. We are being called graverobbers
, looters , treasure hunters and that we have no respect for the dead. Also in
the same forums and discussion threads there is a lot of threats , deaththreats
and the sorts directed towards us. I find it interesting that not a single
one of all the threats and deaththreats I`ve seen posted has been
adressed by anyone , so you are silently accepting that kind of behaviour. I am
quite disappointed , I would have expected more if you have such high morale as
you preach in comment fields.
So , these diggers spend most of their free time doing research ,
seeking landowners and trying to find places fallen might still lay. They spend
their own money on equipment , fuel for cars and travel. They walk , search and
work full days in often hard to reach areas in difficult terrain , in rock hard
soil and water filled marshes. They choose to do this in the hope to bring
another fallen soldier home because they believe he deserves a named grave , his
family deserves a closure to a 70 year open wound. They do this the legal way ,
they have themselves contacted authorities and have always wanted to do this
work in the correct way , and believe me , there is enough of the ones that
don`t care about such and really only dig for their own collections or for
selling. Legenda has always tried to "turn" such people and show them the right
way to do things as contacting authorities when bodies is found.
For me this is not disrespecting the dead. Yes , we might shout and
dance when we find a fallen , specially when we know he ll be identified by a
nametag or similar , it is a very normal release after many many hours hard
work.
I was invited to Legenda and have done this work with them several
times and seen how it s done , and the little video clips causing the uproar is
really not representative for what is going on. I have not been just given a
shovel and asked to pull bones out of the ground. I have been closely supervised
and instructed by the boss of the group and most experienced digger , and if I`m
not digging I am sifting through soil where the boss is digging to
ensure nothing is lost and left behind , and the whole process is often filmed
and photographed.
Legenda has responded to some of these forums by inviting
proffessionals to participate and work together to improve the methodology and
quality of the work. Seeing how engaged the archaeologist
community have been writing angry comments I would think some of them
really was serious about this sort of work as it must be a great
experience for them as well doing this work , but of all the hundreds active in
the comment fields there seems to be mostly internet warriors and desk-chair
archaeologists since very few has responded to the invitations.
I really urge you to look past your hurt feelings and seek out a digger
group if you want to do something positive. Most of these groups is volunteer
and is often underfunded and would probably be as welcoming as Legenda has been
towards me.
- inka
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