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bach2yoga
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Do you care? How about taking a minute or two to copy and paste the letter and slipping it in the mail?
Renee
Fellow Archaeophiles: The attached file contains a letter to my State Assemblyman with a request to introduce legislation to protect archaeological sites on public lands and to punish looters. I also sent a letter with an identical message to my State Senator. I urge everyone to do the same. That is the only way that we will accomplish this worthy goal. You may pattern your letters after mine, or compose your own. The important points are quite simple:
1) Archaeological sites are nonrenewable resources.
2) Those sites contain a unique record of the life and times of the people who created them. (In the prehistoric period, there is no other record, and in the historic period, the record is biased in the telling. Voltaire is quoted as saying: "History is the lie commonly agreed to!" Unless it is conducted in a similarly biased way, archaeology doesn't lie.)
3) Only properly conducted investigations by trained and experienced archaeologists can offer the hope of cogent interpretation of archaeological sites.
4) Archaeological sites that exist within or upon public grounds have been and are being looted with impunity. Examples include: a) Bird Island, near Mauricetown, where native burials were uprooted; b) the Indian Head site and c) various parts of the Abbott Farm National Landmark and vicinity, where countless artifacts have disappeared into private hands. The list goes on. You probably know of other sites near you.
5) Looting is theft! Looting deprives the public and posterity of artifacts and other archaeological materials (e.g., cultural features, burials, etc.) as well as the scientific data necessary to record and interpret unrecorded human events. It also transfers essential elements of public heritage into the hands of private individuals, who then do with them as they please (e.g., collect, trade, sell, etc.).
6) Looters, like all thieves, ought to be punished. Request--or even demand--that the Legislature take steps to protect our disappearing archaeological sites. If we fail to defend our heritage, we will have no one but ourselves to blame. If we don't act soon, there will be nothing left to protect. Please take a moment to write you letter today...and follow up with a phone call. Thanks. Alan Mounier Fellow and Past President of ASNJ
I am writing to ask you to sponsor a bill that would protect archaeological sites on publicly held lands from looting. Bills to this effect were introduced into the Legislature last year. The Assembly bill was No. A3101 and the Senate bill was No. S2473. Both bills had identical language. Both died without decisive action.
These bills would make good models for the legislation that I have in mind. The legislation would protect publicly owned archaeological sites in New Jersey and would establish penalties for violations.
Changes to the language of the bills as originally introduced are desirable. The scope of the legislation should extend to archaeological sites and artifacts of all ages and cultural associations. It is important not to limit coverage to specific time periods (i.e., prehistoric or historic periods) to specific cultural associations (i.e., Native American, African American, etc.).
References in the original version to littering and animal protection are not pertinent to the proposed law and should be removed from the language in the new bill. Both of these activities are already regulated under existing laws.
References to the possession, sale, exchange, transportation, etc. of artifacts and other archaeological materials should specify that the artifacts and materials covered by the bill include only those that have been obtained in violation of provisions of the law. In other words, the bill should not be construed to "criminalize" the possession, exchange, or sale (etc.) of existing collections.
The specific language used to designate prohibited acts should parallel the terminology used in existing Federal legislation. This similarity would permit the application of existing case law and would remove ambiguity concerning the definitions of protected resources and prohibited acts.
The bill should define the qualifications of those who would be permitted to collect archaeological materials or to conduct excavations on public lands. That is, the claim of being an archaeologist must be substantiated with appropriate credentials. In Federal jurisdictions, this definition is contained within 36 CFR 61.
The bill should state that archaeological collecting and excavating on public lands should be undertaken only for purposes of advancing archaeological knowledge in the public interest.
The State of Delaware has existing legislation that you may find useful in writing the proposed law.
Each archaeological site contains a unique and often unwritten record of human behavior. Scientific archaeological investigation is the best--and often the only--means of understanding that record. The looting of archaeological sites deprives the public of scientific data and information important to an appreciation of our heritage.
Looting on public lands in New Jersey is an ongoing and persistent problem. A law to criminalize and penalize this activity would be in the best interest of science and our shared cultural heritage.
With nearly 40 years of experience in archaeology, I stand ready to assist you in any way possible. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Renee
Fellow Archaeophiles: The attached file contains a letter to my State Assemblyman with a request to introduce legislation to protect archaeological sites on public lands and to punish looters. I also sent a letter with an identical message to my State Senator. I urge everyone to do the same. That is the only way that we will accomplish this worthy goal. You may pattern your letters after mine, or compose your own. The important points are quite simple:
1) Archaeological sites are nonrenewable resources.
2) Those sites contain a unique record of the life and times of the people who created them. (In the prehistoric period, there is no other record, and in the historic period, the record is biased in the telling. Voltaire is quoted as saying: "History is the lie commonly agreed to!" Unless it is conducted in a similarly biased way, archaeology doesn't lie.)
3) Only properly conducted investigations by trained and experienced archaeologists can offer the hope of cogent interpretation of archaeological sites.
4) Archaeological sites that exist within or upon public grounds have been and are being looted with impunity. Examples include: a) Bird Island, near Mauricetown, where native burials were uprooted; b) the Indian Head site and c) various parts of the Abbott Farm National Landmark and vicinity, where countless artifacts have disappeared into private hands. The list goes on. You probably know of other sites near you.
5) Looting is theft! Looting deprives the public and posterity of artifacts and other archaeological materials (e.g., cultural features, burials, etc.) as well as the scientific data necessary to record and interpret unrecorded human events. It also transfers essential elements of public heritage into the hands of private individuals, who then do with them as they please (e.g., collect, trade, sell, etc.).
6) Looters, like all thieves, ought to be punished. Request--or even demand--that the Legislature take steps to protect our disappearing archaeological sites. If we fail to defend our heritage, we will have no one but ourselves to blame. If we don't act soon, there will be nothing left to protect. Please take a moment to write you letter today...and follow up with a phone call. Thanks. Alan Mounier Fellow and Past President of ASNJ
I am writing to ask you to sponsor a bill that would protect archaeological sites on publicly held lands from looting. Bills to this effect were introduced into the Legislature last year. The Assembly bill was No. A3101 and the Senate bill was No. S2473. Both bills had identical language. Both died without decisive action.
These bills would make good models for the legislation that I have in mind. The legislation would protect publicly owned archaeological sites in New Jersey and would establish penalties for violations.
Changes to the language of the bills as originally introduced are desirable. The scope of the legislation should extend to archaeological sites and artifacts of all ages and cultural associations. It is important not to limit coverage to specific time periods (i.e., prehistoric or historic periods) to specific cultural associations (i.e., Native American, African American, etc.).
References in the original version to littering and animal protection are not pertinent to the proposed law and should be removed from the language in the new bill. Both of these activities are already regulated under existing laws.
References to the possession, sale, exchange, transportation, etc. of artifacts and other archaeological materials should specify that the artifacts and materials covered by the bill include only those that have been obtained in violation of provisions of the law. In other words, the bill should not be construed to "criminalize" the possession, exchange, or sale (etc.) of existing collections.
The specific language used to designate prohibited acts should parallel the terminology used in existing Federal legislation. This similarity would permit the application of existing case law and would remove ambiguity concerning the definitions of protected resources and prohibited acts.
The bill should define the qualifications of those who would be permitted to collect archaeological materials or to conduct excavations on public lands. That is, the claim of being an archaeologist must be substantiated with appropriate credentials. In Federal jurisdictions, this definition is contained within 36 CFR 61.
The bill should state that archaeological collecting and excavating on public lands should be undertaken only for purposes of advancing archaeological knowledge in the public interest.
The State of Delaware has existing legislation that you may find useful in writing the proposed law.
Each archaeological site contains a unique and often unwritten record of human behavior. Scientific archaeological investigation is the best--and often the only--means of understanding that record. The looting of archaeological sites deprives the public of scientific data and information important to an appreciation of our heritage.
Looting on public lands in New Jersey is an ongoing and persistent problem. A law to criminalize and penalize this activity would be in the best interest of science and our shared cultural heritage.
With nearly 40 years of experience in archaeology, I stand ready to assist you in any way possible. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
