Human remains of ancient settlements will be reburied and lost to science under a law that threatens research into the history of humans in Britain, a group of leading archeologists (考古学家) says. In a letter addressed to the justice secretary, Ken Clarke, 40 archaeologists write of their “deep and widespread concern” about the issue. It centers on the law introduced by the Ministry of Justice in 2008 which requires all human remains unearthed in England and Wales to be reburied within two years, regardless of their age. The decision means scientists have too little time to study bones and other human remains of national and cultural significance. “Your current requirement that all archaeologically unearthed human remains should be reburied, whether after a standard period of two years or a further special extension, is contrary to basic principles of archaeological and scientific research and of museum practice,” they write. The law applies to any pieces of bone uncovered at around 400 dig sites, including the remains of 60 or so bodies found at Stonehenge in 2008 that date back to 3,000 BC. Archaeologists have been granted a temporary extension to give them more time, but eventuallly the bones will have to be returned to the ground. The arrangements may result in the waste of future discoveries at sites such as Happisburgh in Norfolk, where digging is continuing after the discovery of stone tools made by early humans 950,000 years ago. If human remains were found at Happisburgh, they would be the oldest in northern Europe and the first indication of what this species was. Under the current practice of the law those remains would have to be reburied and effectively destroyed. Before 2008, guidelines allowed for the proper preservation and study of bones of sufficient age and historical interest, while the Burial Act 1857 applied to more recent remains. The Ministry of Justice assured archaeologists two years ago that the law was temporary, but has so far failed to revise it. Mike Parker Pearson, an archaeologist at Sheffield University, said: “Archaeologists have been extremely patient because we were led to believe the ministry was sorting out this problem, but we feel that we cannot wait any longer.” The ministry has no guidelines on where or how remains should be reburied, or on what records should be kept.
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一群领先的考古学家表示，这法例规定所有从人类古集居地出土的遗骸，必须被重新掩埋，这威胁著在英国的科学及人类历史的研究。四十位考古学家去信司法大臣Ken Clarke（肯•克拉克），表示“严重及广泛关注”该问题。原因是司法部在2008年引入法例，所有在England（英格兰）和Wales（威尔士）的出土遗骸，不论其年份，须于两年内被重新被安葬。这一决定意味著，科学家们将没有足够的时间研究具民族文化的意义的遗骨及其他遗物。   他们说：「不论是否以​​两年为准则，或有格外的期限开许，按目前的规定，所有作考古研究的出土人类遗骸都要重新安葬，是违背了考古和科研实践及陈列成果的基本原则。」   该法例影响著大约400个挖掘遗址所出土的每一件遗骨，其中包括在2008年在Stonehenge（巨石阵）发现来自60或更多人的骨灰残骸，而这些遗骨可追溯到公元前3000年。考古学家已获准临时延期，以便给他们更多的时间，但最终仍不得不把的骨灰残骸重新入土。   这些安排可能会摧毁未来的重大发现。诸如在Norfolk（诺福克郡）Happisburgh（哈比斯堡）发现一批远古人类在95万年以前用的燧石工具，假若Happisburg能发现人类的遗骨，那将是北欧大陆曾有人类聚落的考古迹象，但根据目前的法律规定，这些人类遗骨仍须被重新安葬，以致发现彻底地被摧毁。   即使1857年的殓葬法（Burial Act 1857）适用较近期的遗骸，在2008年之前的指引之下，仍容许对年代较远的遗骨作妥善保存及作为具历史价值的研究。两年前司法部曾向考古学家保证，这（2008年引入的）法例只属暂时性，但至今仍未作修改。   Mike Parker Pearson（麦克•派克•皮尔逊），一位Sheffield University（英国谢菲尔德大学）的考古学家说：「考古学界一直极具耐性地等，因为我们相信司法部正著手处理这问题，但我们觉得已等无可等了。」   司法部仍未有指引该于何处及如何重新安葬遗骨，或者应保持什么记录。