QA问答:为什么盗墓被认为是非法的，而考古却不是？

Ernest W. Adams
, child of two archaeologists; grew up on digs.
What timefrx does grave robbery become archeology? Why are there laws against one but not the other?
It ceases to be grave robbery when nobody cares about the graves any more. Dig up 900-year-old graves in a cathedral graveyard, and it's grave robbery. Dig up a 300-year-old cemetery in a long-vanished community such as a ghost town, and it's archaeology.
 
欧内斯特·W·亚当斯
，两个考古学家的孩子；在挖掘中长大。
盗墓成为考古学的时间框架是什么？为什么有针对一个而不是另一个的法律？
当人们不再关心坟墓时，它就不再是盗墓了。在大教堂墓地挖出 900 年历史的坟墓，这就是盗墓。在鬼城等早已消失的社区中挖出一座拥有 300 年历史的墓地，这就是考古。
 
John Bartram
, Studied history and practised archaeology worldwide for 50+ years.
When opposing treasure hunters and looters (often the same miscreants) this challenge is usually thrown at me: Am I not any better than a grave robber?
Certainly, I have excavated many human interments in a number of burial sites, one being a cathedral cemetery.
In England, archaeologists work to English law:
To dig anywhere requires permission from the landowner.
If it is thought that there is any possibility of finding human remains, then the local coroner should be informed immediately (i.e. in advance).
When human remains, or anything looking as though they might be human, are found unexpectedly, call the police, who will inspect the site, the remains and question the archaeologists. The police will decide what, if anything, should be done next.
As well, when the interment is seen to be associated with Christianity or any other extant religion, then its is usual to contact the appropriate religious authority.
So, why do we excavate them?
Grave robbers were common and do still exist today, especially when they think that there may be valuables to be found. Archaeologists may pre-empt such an attack by excavating properly, which includes fully recording everything, and making both the finds, data and interpretation available (and secure) for study.
Erosion by weather and water naturally destroys sites. I ran a training site on a chalk escarpment where the soil was only a couple of inches deep and being washed, through the centuries, down into a farmyard. If we’d done nothing, nature would have continued destroying the archaeology.
All land belongs to somebody and they own what is both in and under it. Then, governments too enter somebody’s land to make public works - roads, railway lines, cables and piping - and so on. All these people are free to disturb whatever they want and oftentimes, that will be archaeology - including human remains. It is the archaeologists who protect, conserve and record them, making our cultural heritage available for everyone, as well as understandable撒克逊seax，刀片，
 
约翰·巴特拉姆,在世界范围内研究历史并从事考古工作 50 多年。
当对抗寻宝者和掠夺者（通常是同一个恶棍）时，通常会向我提出这个挑战：我难道不比盗墓者强吗？
当然，我在许多墓地中挖掘了许多人类的坟墓，其中一个是大教堂墓地。
在英格兰，考古学家必须根据英国法律工作：
在任何地方挖掘都需要得到土地所有者的许可。
如果认为有可能找到人类遗骸，则应立即（或提前）通知当地验尸官。
当意外发现人类遗骸或任何看起来像是人类的东西时，请报警，警察将检查现场和遗骸并询问考古学家。警方将决定下一步应该做什么（如果需要的话）。
同样，当葬礼被认为与基督教或任何其他现存宗教有关时，通常会联系适当的宗教权威。
那么，我们为什么要挖掘它们呢？
盗墓者很常见，今天仍然存在，尤其是当他们认为可能会发现贵重物品时。考古学家可以通过正确挖掘来预防这种攻击，这包括完整记录所有内容，并使发现、数据和解释都可用（以及安全地）以供研究。
天气和水的侵蚀会自然地破坏遗址。我在白垩悬崖上开设了一个训练场地，那里的土壤只有几英寸深，几个世纪以来一直被冲刷成一个农家院子。如果我们什么都不做，大自然就会继续破坏考古学。
所有土地都属于某人，他们拥有土地内和土地下的一切。然后，政府也进入某人的土地进行公共工程——道路、铁路线、电缆和管道——等等。所有这些人都可以随意打扰他们想要的任何东西，而且通常是考古的对象——包括人类遗骸。是考古学家在保护、保存和记录它们，使我们的文化遗产对每个人都可用并获得理解。
 
Neil Anderson
, MA Archaeology & Race and Ethnicity, University of Southampton (2002)
U.K. answer.
There are laws about digging up human remains and you need a home office authorisation to do so.
Archaeologists don’t randomly dig sites. There must be some reason for doing so. That could be because the site is being developed and about to be destroyed or because of a research reason, but not monetary.
 
Recently (in historical terms) there’s been a movement to treat the dead with respect and many of the human remains you’ll see in museums are replicas.
So essentially the difference is, grave robbers do so for profit, archaeologists do so to further our understanding of the past and require licences to do this.
尼尔·安德森, MA Archaeology & Race and Ethnicity, 南安普敦大学 (2002)
2019 年 1 月 2 日答复
英国人来回答了。
有关于挖掘人类遗骸的法律，您需要获得家庭办公室的授权才能这样做。
考古学家不会随意挖掘遗址。这样做一定是有原因的。这可能是因为该遗址正在开发，即将被摧毁，或者是出于研究原因，而非金钱的驱使。
最近（从历史角度来看）有一种尊重死者的运动，您在博物馆中看到的许多人类遗骸都是复制品。
所以本质上的区别在于，盗墓者这样做是为了牟利，考古学家这样做是为了进一步了解过去，并且需要获得许可才能这样做。
 
Liz Mordue
, Archaeological Advisor (2021-present)
This question, or variants of it, does seem to be a popular one on Quora and it’s a great pity that there are still people who think archaeologists are basically grave robbers. Yes, we excavate graves if we have to, if they are threatened by development and would otherwise be destroyed, but we do it only when necessary and with legal permission.
Grave robbery is destructive of human remains and done in order to steal and sell artefacts. It is therefore illegal. Artefacts belong to the landowner on whose land they are found, so if a detectorist finds something they share the value with the landowner. A grave robber would be stealing the items to sell for their own gain, just like someone breaking into your house and stealing your tv.
The removal or disturbance of human remains is illegal in the United Kingdom without a specific licence from the Ministry of Justice, granting permission for the site in question, and to the organisation which applied for the licence. There are several conditions including shielding from public gaze and reburial after a specified interval. Burials are sometimes moved by specialist cemetery clearance companies rather than excavated and recorded archaeologically, and they need a licence as well.
Archaeology is not illegal, because its wider remit is the study and analysis of the remains of human activity. Excavating burials is a relatively small part of that remit, so why would the whole discipline of archaeology be illegal?

莉兹·莫杜,考古顾问（2021 年至今）
2019 年 1 月 2 日答复
这个问题，或者它的变体，似乎在 Quora 上很受欢迎，很遗憾仍然有人认为考古学家基本上是盗墓贼。是的，如果必须的话，我们会挖掘坟墓，如果它们受到发展的威胁，否则会被破坏，但我们只在必要时并在获得法律许可的情况下才这样做。
盗墓是对人类遗骸的破坏，是为了偷窃和出售文物而进行的。因此是非法的。文物属于发现它们的土地的土地所有者，因此如果探测器发现某些东西，他们会与土地所有者分享价值。盗墓贼会窃取物品出售以谋取私利，就像有人闯入您的房屋并偷走您的电视一样。
在英国，如果没有司法部的特定许可，即向相关地点和申请许可的组织授予许可，移走或扰乱人类遗骸是非法的。有几种情况，包括屏蔽公众视线和在指定时间间隔后重新埋葬。墓葬有时由专业的墓地清理公司搬运，而不是进行考古挖掘和记录，他们也需要许可证。
考古学并不违法，因为其更广泛的职责是研究和分析人类活动的遗迹。挖掘墓葬只是其中的一小部分，那么为什么整个考古学学科都是非法的呢？
 
Tristan Dolciano, Professional archaeologist for 30 years
Modern archaeology, as opposed to treasure hunting, is not grave robbing. The intent of each is different.
Yes, in the past there was a common disregard in the US and other countries for cultural sensitivity in exhuming the remains and grave goods of people who were not descendants of Europeans, and the deepest sentiments of indigenous people were often ignored. Professional practice and many laws have rectified this.
If human remains were uncovered in the course of an archaeological investigation in the US, work would cease at that location, which would be protected, and both local police and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) would be notified. Native American tribes, even those now resident far away from the site, that have a traditional connection to the area, would be notified as well. The police would call in the government’s medical examiner, a forensic specialist, (1) to determine if the remains are human, (2) to determine if the remains are recent (and, therefore, a potential crime victim), (3) to pronounce death (yes, even skeletal remains must be officially pronounced dead by a qualified medical specialist), and (4) to provide some information on the deceased. The remains are then released to an archaeologist who can remove them from the ground; archaeologists must be on state exhumation permits to legally do so, and they often call in osteologists to participate in the task.
What tests and investigations can be done and what happens to the remains and goods are topics covered in memoranda of agreement, which are documents outlining standard procedures to be followed if human remains are found. They are prepared and agreed to by SHPOs. federal and state agencies involved, and Native American tribes.
Usually, skeletal material is examined to establish age, sex, and general physical condition, possibly the cause of death, of the individual. The results can be astoundingo)_. Cultural and temporal affiliation may also be determined. It is more common in the case of historic burials, such as those of English settlers at Jamestown, to do chemical analyses and facial reconstruction:
1607 Burials | Historic Jamestowne
In the US, Native American remains are transferred to a federal-recognized tribe that claims a cultural affiliation. With great time depth, many tribes in a region, or tribal organizations with only state-level recognition, this can be a complicated process. I have been present at repatriation and reburial, with dignified and moving ceremonies by tribes.
Sometimes archaeologists are asked to find burials and even remove them if proposed construction or danger of erosion threatens grave sites or potential grave sites. On battlefields, archaeologists recover remains of those missing in action or hastily buried; such remains are given appropriate burial.

特里斯坦·多尔恰诺,专业考古30年
现代考古学，与寻宝相反，不是盗墓。每个人的意图都不一样。
是的，过去美国和其他国家在挖掘非欧洲人后裔的遗骸和墓葬物品时，普遍无视文化敏感性，往往忽略了土著人最深切的情感。专业实践和许多法律已经纠正了这一点。
如果在美国的考古调查过程中发现了人类遗骸，该地点的工作将停止，该地点将受到保护，并且当地警方和州历史保护办公室 (SHPO) 都会收到通知。美洲原住民部落，即使是那些现在居住在远离该地区、与该地区有传统联系的部落，也会收到通知。警方会召集政府的法医专家，(1) 确定遗骸是否是人类，(2) 确定遗骸是否是最近的（因此，潜在的犯罪受害者），(3)宣布死亡（是的，即使是骨骼遗骸也必须由合格的医学专家正式宣布死亡），以及 (4) 提供有关死者的一些信息。然后将遗骸交给考古学家，考古学家可以将它们从地下移走；考古学家必须持有国家挖掘许可才能合法地这样做，而且他们经常请骨科医生参与这项任务。
可以进行哪些测试和调查以及遗骸和货物会发生什么情况是协议备忘录中涵盖的主题，这些文件概述了发现人类遗骸时应遵循的标准程序。它们由 SHPO 准备并同意。涉及的联邦和州机构以及美洲原住民部落。
通常，检查骨骼材料以确定个体的年龄、性别和一般身体状况，可能是死亡原因。结果可能令人震惊）。还可以确定文化和时间从属关系。在历史墓葬（例如詹姆斯敦的英国定居者的墓葬）中，更常见的是进行化学分析和面部重建：
在美国，美洲原住民的遗骸将被转移到一个声称有文化归属的联邦承认的部落。如果时间深度大，一个地区的部落多，或者只有国家级认可的部落组织，这可能是一个复杂的过程。我一直在参加遣返和重新安葬，部落举行了庄严而感人的仪式。
有时，考古学家被要求寻找墓葬，如果拟议的建筑或侵蚀的危险威胁到墓地或潜在的墓地，他们甚至会被移除。在战场上，考古学家寻找在行动中失踪或匆忙掩埋的遗骸；这些遗骸将得到适当的掩埋。
 
Thomas Musselman
Places that care have adopted laws to make sure that dug-up articles are owned by the public, displayed, preserved and the like, except for things so common we can leave it to market forces to deal with. Grave robbers want to evade such laws since their only goal is profit, not study, preservation, or public display. There are laws because some artifacts are so rare that our common patrimony requires that we understand and preserve them before they are destroyed or hidden away in some rich guy’s basement.

你们关心的地方已经通过法律确保挖掘出来的物品归公众所有、展示、保存等，除了那些非常常见的东西，我们可以让市场力量来处理。盗墓者想逃避这些法律，因为他们唯一的目标是利润，而不是学习、保存或公开展示。之所以有法律，是因为有些文物非常稀有，以至于我们共同的遗产要求我们在它们被摧毁或藏在某个富人的地下室之前了解并（合理的）保存它们。
 
Paul Harrison, 2archaeology degrees, been one, teaches history
Because I do it for a nobler cause than money .i do it for human knowledge. The only graves I have dug were medi British so just bones no goods. From these the none scientists could tell about medi health some bones had syphilis , so it helps our knowledge of disease history
Normally archaeology is done prior to development . So if not us the knowledge is lost

保罗哈里森, 2个考古学学位，曾是一名历史老师
因为我这样做是为了比金钱更崇高的事业。我这样做是为了人类的知识。我挖的唯一的坟墓是中世纪的英国人，所以只有骨骸而没有其他东西。从这些科学家无法得知中世纪健康状况的骨骼中，有些遗骸骨骼患有梅毒，因此有助于我们了解疾病史。
通常考古是在开发之前完成的。所以如果没有我们，知识就会丢失
 
Matt Riggsby, MA Archaeology, Boston University
Most archaeology has nothing to do with graves. It’s uncovering the remains of old buildings, digging through trash pits, gathering up bits and pieces of discarded pottery and other artifacts on the surface, and otherwise picking up things which people have abandoned or discarded. We’re dealing with stuff which has been thrown away, not lovingly interred.
But where grave sites are involved, it’s the other way around from how you’ve stated it. If it’s legal, it’s archaeology. If not, it’s grave robbing. And every jurisdiction makes its own judgements on that. In some places, the distinction appears to be that you don’t disturb graves if there’s anyone with a direct connection likely to be disturbed by the opening of the specific grave. In others, it’s a set number of years turning something from a personal grave into cultural property. In still others, any human remains are regarded as something which needs to stay in the stay in the earth and not be disturbed and recovered. This is ultimately a distinction made on the basis of cultural values.

马特·里格斯比，MA考古学，波士顿大学
大多数考古学与坟墓无关。它挖掘旧建筑的遗迹，挖掘垃圾坑，收集地表上的零星废弃陶器和其他文物，或者捡拾人们遗弃或丢弃的东西。我们正在处理被（古人）遗弃的东西，而不是深情地埋葬的东西。
但是在涉及墓地的地方，这与你所说的相反。如果这是合法的，那就是考古学。如果没有，那就是盗墓。每个司法管辖区都对此做出自己的判断。在某些地方，区别似乎是如果有直接联系的人可能会因打开特定坟墓而受到干扰，则您不会打扰坟墓。在其他情况下，将某些东西从个人坟墓变成文化财产需要一定的年限。还有一些人认为任何人类遗骸都需要留在地球上，不被打扰和恢复。这归根结底是基于文化价值的区分。
 
Geno Martinez 
Because grave robbing is still robbery, just from dead people. Its primary motive is to find something valuable for the profit of the grave robber.
Archaeology, on the other hand, aims to increase human knowledge; in fact, many items found on archaeological digs have little to no actual value if not for the fact that they’re as old as the dirt they’ve been dug from. I’m not even sure if you can directly construct a cost-benefit analysis for archaeological digs, simply because the value of the artifacts that may or may not be found can’t easily be determined. In other words, archaeology can sometimes be, in purely monetary terms, a big waste. So it isn’t carried out for avaricious reasons.

因为盗墓仍然是抢劫，只是从死者那里。它的主要动机是为盗墓者的利益寻找有价值的东西。
另一方面，考古学旨在增加人类知识；事实上，在考古挖掘中发现的许多物品几乎没有实际价值，如果不是因为它们与挖掘出来的泥土一样古老。我甚至不能确定是否可以直接构建考古挖掘的成本效益分析，因为无法轻易确定可能会发现或可能不会发现的文物的价值。换句话说，从纯粹的金钱角度来看，考古学有时是一种巨大的浪费。所以它不是出于经济原因进行的。
 
Gloria Cole, Archaeologist. graduate UCSB, University of Kentucky.
Originally Answered: What timefrx does grave robbery become archeology? Why are there laws against one but not the other?
In the United States, professional archaeologists always have the Federal, State and local permits before they survey or assess any property for its archaeological content. In Alabama, nearly all excavation occurs when sites are threatened by development or construction. Developers are required to get an archaeological assessment of properties (Cultural Resource Management assessment) before proceeding with any site destructive activities. There are laws strictly governing procedures affecting archaeological sites at both the State and Federal level.
You are misinformed that there are no laws against the destruction and looting of archaeological sites.

格洛丽亚·科尔,考古学家
在美国，专业考古学家在调查或评估任何财产的考古内容之前，始终持有联邦、州和地方的许可。在阿拉巴马州，几乎所有的挖掘都发生在场地受到开发或建设威胁时。开发商在进行任何遗址破坏活动之前，必须对财产进行考古评估（文化资源管理评估）。在州和联邦层面，都有严格管理影响考古遗址的程序的法律。
 
Nicholas Dylan Ray, Travel Writer (2014-present)
This question might have been relevant in the 19th century, when Schliemann dug a huge trench through the ancient site of Troy, but it is no longer relevant now. Everything separates archaeology from grave robbery:
The goal of archaeology is academic research and the pursuit of knowledge. The goal of grave robbery is to take whatever is of value with no thought of knowledge.
The methods of archaeology are slow and painstaking, layer by layer, sometimes literally digging with spoons and toothbrushes. Grave robbers will use a bulldozer if they have one to get to the artifacts they hope to steal.
Literally every country with archaeological sites has laws against pillaging artifacts, and these laws are very well-defined. I do not think a grave robber could make a case in any country that he was an “archaeologist”. This attests to the stark difference between the two activities.
这个问题在 19 世纪可能是相关的，当时施利曼在特洛伊古城挖掘了一条巨大的沟渠（进行发掘），但现在不再相关。一切都将考古与盗墓分开：
考古学的目标是学术研究和对知识的追求。盗墓的目的是在不考虑知识的情况下夺取任何有价值的东西。
考古学的方法缓慢而艰苦，一层一层地，有时真的是用勺子和牙刷挖掘。盗墓者会使用推土机来获取他们希望偷走的文物。
从字面上看，每个拥有考古遗址的国家都有禁止掠夺文物的法律，而且这些法律的定义非常明确。我认为盗墓者无法在任何国家证明他是“考古学家”。这证明了两种活动之间的明显差异。
 
Tom Jonas
The most important difference legally is that archeological excavations usually require approval from the appropriate authorities before they can commence. This approval usually involves a clear justification for the excavation, suitable plans for what will be done with anything that is found, and any other legal requirements.
Grave robbers have no approval to carry out their activities and are usually doing so to take anything they can find without authorisation and sell it for a profit. Apart from the obvious legal difference that their activities are not approved, there’s generally no public or academic interest in their activities; if anything their actions harm this as the items are stolen and sold off, rather than being studied.

法律上最重要的区别是考古发掘通常需要获得有关当局的批准才能开始。这种批准通常包括对挖掘的明确理由、对发现的任何东西进行处理的合适计划以及任何其他法律要求。
盗墓者未经批准开展其活动，并且通常这样做是为了在未经授权的情况下拿走他们能找到的任何东西并出售以获取利润。除了他们的活动未获批准这一明显的法律差异外，他们的活动通常没有公共或学术利益；如果有任何事情，他们的行为会损害这一点，因为这些物品被盗取并卖掉，而不是被研究。