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Originally Posted by MS Fowler
You raise an interesting question.
If the real difference between Titanic effects and Pyramids is simply "time", I'd have to ask, "Why"?
What is the difference between a grave robber and an archeologist? Both do what they do for financial gain--one uses the cloak of "research" as a cover, but the archeologist still makes his living by robbing graves. What makes one acceptable, and the other detested?
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Well, a proper archeologist would stop immediately if human remains were found, and then follow whatever protocols are in place.
A "grave robber" doesn't care, destroys the site, and sells or collects the stuff.
What about Civil War battlefields? They're being dug up for artifacts, or being carved up and developed for housing developments. In the case of the the developers, they sure don't want an "archeologist" to discover something since that will hold up progress while it's reported; but they often let their workers take whatever they find. Unfortunately, this trend has even spawned a reality show: American Diggers
Archaeologists Rise Up Against “Heavy Metal” « American Anthropological Association
Marine archeologists recovered the Hunley and the Monitor. The remains on board were identified as much as possible and buried in national cemeteries. Should they have been left on the ocean floor?
There is a diffference between a looter and an archeologist.