Cultural Artifacts

Two college students stumbled across a skull by the Columbia River in July of 1996. They contacted the local authorities and once they arrived additional bones were discovered. The local authorities reached out to an archaeologist who found a stone spear that was lodged into one of the bones. After further study, the bones were dated to be approximately 9,300 years old and was named the Kennewick Man. The discovery had caused controversy on who should own the bones. The Army Corps of Engineers had taken possession because the bones were discovered on their property. Scientists wanted to study the bones in detail to learn more about the ancestry of the humans in the area. The Native Americans believed the bones should be buried because they …show more content…
The artifact tells a story. In the article, "Looking at Artifacts, Thinking About History," it reads, "Artifacts are more than just material things. They communicate ideas, symbolize values, and convey emotions. When we consider meaning, value, and significance, we are in the domain of cultural history. Different artifacts mean different things to different people, and those meanings change over time." Think of an item that is valuable to you, but might not be valuable to other people. What would your item say about you and how you lived? Would it be the same as the person next to you? No, probably not. That is why artifacts are so important because it tells you about your ancestors and how they lived; their personal story. If the artifact was at a collectors or in a store, you would never hear its story. In museums and universities, they do research and science journals to share what they have found. They piece together the artifacts story and the people who owned …show more content…
If artifacts aren't protected, then we will lose a part of history and the opportunity of learning about the artifact. In the article, "Protecting Archaeological Resources," it states, "Looters selfishly collect and keep the artifacts for themselves or sell the objects for profit. This robs their communities and the public of the opportunity to discover sites and learn from the artifacts." Fortunately, it is a federal crime to collect artifacts, from public and tribal lands without a permit. The article continues to read, "ARPA sets criminal penalties at a $10,000 fine and/or a 1-year imprisonment. If the value of the resources involved exceeds $500, penalties increase to $20,000 and/or 2 years in prison. For a second or repeat offense, penalties are $100,000 and/or 5 years in prison. Anyone who damages, digs up, removes, sells, or buys archaeological resources can pay these penalties." With these laws in place, it ensures that the artifacts that are discovered are kept available to us for education, research, and understanding. Once artifacts are lost, we lose a piece of history. We cannot get it back. It is important that we have any discovered artifacts placed into museums or universities. We need to understand about past civilization, we need to be educated about the artifacts and the stories, and we need to protect these artifacts from being sold or looted. I'll ask my question again. Who should own the