25th July 2005, 10:05 PM
[quote]Originally posted by Alfie
If only life was as simple as the CoE guidlines. Heres an ethical dillema for you. A recent discovery of a burial ground adjacent to a C of E Church evaluated prior to development. .....
I am not sure what the beef is all about in particularly the post from Alfie.
If this burial ground is outside of a Church yard it is covered by secular law and if it is inside the Church yard it is covered by Canon law and some secular. It is perfectly possible for a CoE Churchyard to be covered by the disused burials act. Many were closed in 1857.
Either inside or outside of a churchyard this case would have been looked at by a curator either one working for the diocese or one working for the LPA. I would also expect the two to discuss the matter which may mean in some areas the curators discussing the issue with themselves as they are often the same person.
The date is in many ways not relevant and the burials may have been illegal burials outside of the Church.
The notion that burials in Churchyards will never be disturbed or have been disturbed is both naive and shows a misunderstanding of the archaeology of Churchyards. In any graveyards there will large quantities of dis-articulated bone which have been disturbed when later burials where inserted.
The Diocese of St Edmundbury recently allowed a research excavation in a churchyard and for a full discussion about this se Britarch.
I would ask everybody here not to make assumptions and assertions about an organisation that has and is doing much to protect historic buildings and archaeology.
As far as Alfie post goes I see no real ethical issue raised - assumming the procedures were followed.
Peter
If only life was as simple as the CoE guidlines. Heres an ethical dillema for you. A recent discovery of a burial ground adjacent to a C of E Church evaluated prior to development. .....
I am not sure what the beef is all about in particularly the post from Alfie.
If this burial ground is outside of a Church yard it is covered by secular law and if it is inside the Church yard it is covered by Canon law and some secular. It is perfectly possible for a CoE Churchyard to be covered by the disused burials act. Many were closed in 1857.
Either inside or outside of a churchyard this case would have been looked at by a curator either one working for the diocese or one working for the LPA. I would also expect the two to discuss the matter which may mean in some areas the curators discussing the issue with themselves as they are often the same person.
The date is in many ways not relevant and the burials may have been illegal burials outside of the Church.
The notion that burials in Churchyards will never be disturbed or have been disturbed is both naive and shows a misunderstanding of the archaeology of Churchyards. In any graveyards there will large quantities of dis-articulated bone which have been disturbed when later burials where inserted.
The Diocese of St Edmundbury recently allowed a research excavation in a churchyard and for a full discussion about this se Britarch.
I would ask everybody here not to make assumptions and assertions about an organisation that has and is doing much to protect historic buildings and archaeology.
As far as Alfie post goes I see no real ethical issue raised - assumming the procedures were followed.
Peter