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In a message dated 97-01-27 14:04:59 EST, you write: << I am against removing artifacts from ships where people have died. On the otherhand the wrecks at Truk Lagoon are a national treasure simply because this is a popular international dive site. I wouldn't want anybody walking off with the attractions. The other point is, people died on these wrecks and although their remains have been in the process of removal, nevertheless we should respect the grave sites. I really don't think it is appropriate for divers to go artifact hunting on historic wrecks where people have died. It's like stealing the flowers off their graves. >> ------------------------------ The USS Monitor is part of the National Park Service and is a National MArine Sanctuary, John Pennecamp Park is under the same rulings. If every ship that sank with people on it were treated as you suggest then we would never really know how they sank and would never really have an opportunity to see or recover what artifacts they may have been carrying. Granted I am in agreement with the respect of leaving the remains intact. That small section is the grave. But I would tend to suspect that anything outside of say a 2 foot margin is open to inspection and recovery. Now my friend Bob Ballard might dispute that as in the Titanic discovery and the marketing of Titanic Memorabilia and in that case I do agre with him. Truk Lagoon is an interesting situation. This small community in the middle of the South Pacific saw that divign these wrecks can present economic gain to the community -- now they are removign the remains. Question, other than the potential economic gain would they have removed the remains? The only differecne between a diver looking for artifacts and an archaeological diver looking for artifacts is the diver has a clear purpose without a political or organizational agenda. Leave the bones, dont mess with them, photograph the artifact insitu, collect it, mark it, photograph it with a ruler for scale, preserve it, and go show it. Collect enough to make a display and show it to children in schools and museums. Joel Silverstein +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Please send messages for the WreckDiver list to: wreckdiver@wreckdiver.com Send subscription and help requests to: wreckdiver-request@wreckdiver.com +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
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