HumanremainsofancientsettlementswillbereburiedandlosttoscienceunderalawthatthreatensresearchintothehistoryofhumansinBritain,agroupofleadingarcheologists(考古学家)says.Inaletteraddressedtothejusticesecr

　　HumanremainsofancientsettlementswillbereburiedandlosttoscienceunderalawthatthreatensresearchintothehistoryofhumansinBritain,agroupofleadingarcheologists(考古学家)says.Inaletteraddressedtothejusticesecretary,KenClarke,40archaeologistswriteoftheir“deepandwidespreadconcern”abouttheissue.ItcentersonthelawintroducedbytheMinistryofJusticein2008whichrequiresallhumanremainsunearthedinEnglandandWalestobereburiedwithintwoyears,regardlessoftheirage.Thedecisionmeansscientistshavetoolittletimetostudybonesandotherhumanremainsofnationalandculturalsignificance.

　　“Yourcurrentrequirementthatallarchaeologicallyunearthedhumanremainsshouldbereburied,whetherafterastandardperiodoftwoyearsorafurtherspecialextension,iscontrarytobasicprinciplesofarchaeologicalandscientificresearchandofmuseumpractice,”theywrite.

　　Thelawappliestoanypiecesofboneuncoveredataround400digsites,includingtheremainsof60orsobodiesfoundatStonehengein2008thatdatebackto3,000BC.Archaeologistshavebeengrantedatemporaryextensiontogivethemmoretime,buteventualllytheboneswillhavetobereturnedtotheground.

　　ThearrangementsmayresultinthewasteoffuturediscoveriesatsitessuchasHappisburghinNorfolk,wherediggingiscontinuingafterthediscoveryofstonetoolsmadebyearlyhumans950,000yearsago.IfhumanremainswerefoundatHappisburgh,theywouldbetheoldestinnorthernEuropeandthefirstindicationofwhatthisspecieswas.Underthecurrentpracticeofthelawthoseremainswouldhavetobereburiedandeffectivelydestroyed.

　　Before2008,guidelinesallowedfortheproperpreservationandstudyofbonesofsufficientageandhistoricalinterest,whiletheBurialAct1857appliedtomorerecentremains.TheMinistryofJusticeassuredarchaeologiststwoyearsagothatthelawwastemporary,buthassofarfailedtoreviseit.

　　MikeParkerPearson,anarchaeologistatSheffieldUniversity,said:“Archaeologistshavebeenextremelypatientbecausewewereledtobelievetheministrywassortingoutthisproblem,butwefeelthatwecannotwaitanylonger.”

　　Theministryhasnoguidelinesonwhereorhowremainsshouldbereburied,oronwhatr