There are currently on Ukrainian territory about 100 000 tumuli dating from different eras: they are the tombs of ordinary people as noble tribal people from and of civilizations, which over time have settled on both banks Dnieper. In the only oblast [department] Donetsk, there are approximately 5000 kurgans Scythian and 8000 others have been identified Kholodny Yar Cherkasy Oblast (this is still the largest archaeological site ever discovered Scythian) .
Emphasize that there is currently no comprehensive catalog of Ukrainian tumuli. Especially since, hardly erected, kurgans have become the prey of thieves, plundering of graves being one of the most ancient in the world. It is not uncommon, during excavations archaeologists found cavities carved by ancient treasure hunters.
Sometimes these are the bones of the thieves that they uncover. But this activity has not disappeared. Even today, the tumuli are regularly visited by looters, even if the vein is no longer as profitable as before and therefore it attracts fewer candidates. Anyway, according Dmytro Telehin, doctor of history, modern looting has nonetheless reached catastrophic proportions.
Today, the grave robbers have advanced technology to find the treasures buried beneath the kurgans: a range of cartographic material, metal detectors and even shovels. The stories that scandal is growing. Corruption is rampant, especially related to the protection of archaeological value, and it is rare that such cases are subject to investigations.
Thus, in 2008 in Sumy Oblast, the local prosecutor has opened a criminal investigation against the head of the department of agricultural resources in the district, who had illegally denationalised 9.6 hectares of land belonging to two villages that had divided into plots for sale. Now it happens that the land was home to four archaeological monuments of kurgans and other remains.
Academics are appalled by the lack of protection generally suffer monuments. An article Tolochko Petro, a member of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, was particularly sensational, it considers the country's cultural heritage is threatened with ruin on the one hand because of farming and, Firstly, due to the lack of archaeological research on construction sites.
Prof. Hanna Andres, who works in the Department of Conservation, is more reassuring and explained that the authorities are gradually becoming the measure of the situation. New laws on the protection of archaeological heritage and museums are currently being drafted, and a number of regulations.
But this legal arsenal is not yet operational. Moreover, the Penal Code does not provide for specific sanctions against anyone found guilty of deterioration of cultural heritage. For example, in Ukraine it is impossible to condemn someone who is suspected of vandalism, except in the case of damage to private property or depredations on the public highway.
Then the kurgans continue to be the prey of thieves, when they are not simply victims of the negligence of municipal officials. The remaining artifacts often end up scattered by the plow plows. Added to this is the destructive impact of the gradual privatization of land. But in the eyes of specialists is the absolute indifference of the Ukrainian population itself represents the greatest threat.
The "black archeologists" who illegally excavate the sites in search of valuables to sell, are comparatively less dangerous than the officials who, in their ignorance, refuse outright to protect the ruins of ancient cities and tumuli, when they do not deliberately commit crimes for example by allowing the initiation of construction on sites listed.
Facing the wall of indifference and greed of leaders, scholars, archaeologists and experts are trying to organize. And they are convinced, as the population is not aware of the problem, the country's exceptional archaeological heritage is threatened by depletion. 
Emphasize that there is currently no comprehensive catalog of Ukrainian tumuli. Especially since, hardly erected, kurgans have become the prey of thieves, plundering of graves being one of the most ancient in the world. It is not uncommon, during excavations archaeologists found cavities carved by ancient treasure hunters.
Sometimes these are the bones of the thieves that they uncover. But this activity has not disappeared. Even today, the tumuli are regularly visited by looters, even if the vein is no longer as profitable as before and therefore it attracts fewer candidates. Anyway, according Dmytro Telehin, doctor of history, modern looting has nonetheless reached catastrophic proportions.
Today, the grave robbers have advanced technology to find the treasures buried beneath the kurgans: a range of cartographic material, metal detectors and even shovels. The stories that scandal is growing. Corruption is rampant, especially related to the protection of archaeological value, and it is rare that such cases are subject to investigations.
Thus, in 2008 in Sumy Oblast, the local prosecutor has opened a criminal investigation against the head of the department of agricultural resources in the district, who had illegally denationalised 9.6 hectares of land belonging to two villages that had divided into plots for sale. Now it happens that the land was home to four archaeological monuments of kurgans and other remains.
Academics are appalled by the lack of protection generally suffer monuments. An article Tolochko Petro, a member of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, was particularly sensational, it considers the country's cultural heritage is threatened with ruin on the one hand because of farming and, Firstly, due to the lack of archaeological research on construction sites.
Prof. Hanna Andres, who works in the Department of Conservation, is more reassuring and explained that the authorities are gradually becoming the measure of the situation. New laws on the protection of archaeological heritage and museums are currently being drafted, and a number of regulations.
But this legal arsenal is not yet operational. Moreover, the Penal Code does not provide for specific sanctions against anyone found guilty of deterioration of cultural heritage. For example, in Ukraine it is impossible to condemn someone who is suspected of vandalism, except in the case of damage to private property or depredations on the public highway.
Then the kurgans continue to be the prey of thieves, when they are not simply victims of the negligence of municipal officials. The remaining artifacts often end up scattered by the plow plows. Added to this is the destructive impact of the gradual privatization of land. But in the eyes of specialists is the absolute indifference of the Ukrainian population itself represents the greatest threat.
The "black archeologists" who illegally excavate the sites in search of valuables to sell, are comparatively less dangerous than the officials who, in their ignorance, refuse outright to protect the ruins of ancient cities and tumuli, when they do not deliberately commit crimes for example by allowing the initiation of construction on sites listed.
Facing the wall of indifference and greed of leaders, scholars, archaeologists and experts are trying to organize. And they are convinced, as the population is not aware of the problem, the country's exceptional archaeological heritage is threatened by depletion.
- Israel holding Gaza Engineer after kidnapping in Ukraine (07/03/2011)
- Italy announces March 29 friendly in Ukraine (AP) (07/03/2011)
- Katie Holmes Suing Publisher For $50 Million (01/03/2011)
- One more + for Ukraine from another US guy - Baszana, Ukraine (24/02/2011)
- Lessons for Egypt from Ukraine (07/03/2011)
No comments:
Post a Comment