- Missing Skulls from Archaeological Dig Site
Following the mysterious vanishing of a skull from an archaeological dig site in the Kyffhäuser area, professionals doubled their pessimism that the skeletal remnant would resurface. As is often the case with stolen artifacts, crooks typically sell them, offering law enforcement a chance to crack the case. But in this instance, the odds appear slim, mentioned Robert Knechtel, the regional rep for the State Office for Heritage Preservation and Archaeology. The incident was initially covered by MDR Thuringia Online.
Knechtel added further that while instances of artifact theft during digs aren't exactly a norm, they do occur unfortunately. He viewed the current predicament as especially disrespectful and frustrating. Adding to the annoyance was the knowledge that, due to the past history of grave robbers, the find in Trebra hadn't been made public yet. The excavation has now been wrapped up, but the construction process hasn't started yet.
Five graves from the Bronze Age were unearthed during road construction work. Those interred were positioned in the fashionable 'squat' pose of the era - with their limbs tucked in - and supplied with food in clay pots as burial offerings, explained Knechtel. Unfortunately, we were unable to complete the urgent excavation of these finds last week. When we planned to resume work on the remaining grave on Monday, we discovered the skull was missing and had to file a police report. Officials were quick to confirm the theft.
Securing excavation sites is standard procedure, said Knechtel. In open fields located away from settlements, a simple marker like caution tape can suffice. But in densely populated areas, more robust measures like a lockable construction fence might be required. However, this was not an option in the dig site at Trebra due to residential access constraints.
The police were promptly notified about the theft of the skull from the archaeological dig site in Trebra, as a police report had to be filed. Given the Denser population and residential access constraints at the dig site, more robust security measures may have prevented the theft.
