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1、Humanremainsofancientsettlements HumanremainsofancientsettlementswillbereburiedandlosttoscienceunderalawthatthreatensresearchintothehistoryofhumansinBritain,agroupofleadingarchaeologists(考古学家)says.Ialetteraddressedtothejusticesecretary,KenClarke,40ar
2、chaeologistswriteoftheir“deepandwidespreadconcern”abouttheissue.ItcentersonthelawintroducedbytheMinistryofJusticein2008whichrequiresallhumanremainsunearthedinEnglandandWalestobereburiedwithintwoyears,regardlessoftheirage.Thedecisionmeansscientistshave
3、toolittletimetostudybonesandotherhumanremainsofnationalandculturalsignificance. ”Yourcurrentrequirementthatallarchaeologicallyunearthedhumanremainsshouldbereburied,whetherafterastandardperiodoftwoyearsorfurtherspecialextension,iscontrarytobasicprinci
4、plesofarchaeologicalandscientificresearchandofmuseumpractice,”theywrite. Thelawappliestoanypiecesofboneuncoveredataround400digsites,includingtheremainsof60orsobodiesfoundatStonehengein2008thatdatebackto3,000BC.Archaeologistshavebeengrantedatemporarye
5、xtensiontogivethemmoretime,buteventuallytheboneswillhavetobereturnedtotheground. ThearrangementsmayresultinthewasteoffuturediscoveriesatsitessuchasHappisburghinNorfolk,wherediggingiscontinuingafterthediscoveryofstonetoolsmadebyearlyhumans950,000years
6、ago.IfhumanremainswerefoundatHappisburgh,theywouldbetheoldestinnorthernEuropeandthefirstindicationofwhatthisspecieswas.Underthecurrentpracticeofthelawthoseremainswouldhavetobereburiedandeffectivelydestroyed. Before2008,guidelinesallowedfortheproperpr
7、eservationandstudyofbonesofsufficientageandhistoricalinterest,whiletheBurialAct1857appliedtomorerecentremains.TheMinistryofJusticeassuredarchaeologiststwoyearsagothatthelawwastemporary,buthassofarfailedtoreviseit. MikeParkerPearson,anarchaeologistatS
8、heffieldUniversity,said:“Archaeologistshavebeenextremelypatientbecausewewee(were)ledtobelievetheministrywassortingoutthisproblem,butwefeelthatwecannotwaitanylonger.” Theministryhasnoguidelinesonwhereorhowremainsshouldbereburied,oronwhatrecord
