Ceramics sold in South Florida are human skulls, doctor says

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Wed, Feb. 04, 2004

Ceramics sold in South Florida are human skulls, doctor says
M.R. KROPKO
Associated Press

CLEVELAND - A collection of ceramics sold during a U.S. government auction in South Florida include human skulls, but their origin remains unknown.

Dr. Heather Raaf, chief deputy coroner in Cuyahoga County, said a forensic anthropologist examined the skulls Tuesday and determined they are human. She said each is a partial skull that may at some point have been buried.

"We had an anthropologist look at them and he said they are all definitely human, but they are old. They are not people who recently died. We think they had been buried and somehow unearthed, because they were weathered, and there was some moss and mold on them," Raaf said.

She said that in the skull parts observed there is "no sign of violence or injury."
(snip)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7868870.htm

[saigon68]

1. Maybe CBS can put these on the air

They are much more child friendly than Janet and Justin.

[DemNoir]

2. Florida is just a wonderland

If we could just get rid of Florida and Texas most of our countries problems would be solved.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

3. you're right

i'd understand if the country hired contractors to bulldoze florida into its own separate island.

[Fla_Dem]

9. As a Florida resident

I'm all for it. At least I wouldn't have to worry about Bushy boy anymore.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Just remove the Republicans. The rest of us will come together

in a spirit of cooperation and brotherhood and form great communities based on self-less acts and concern for our fellow man.

Well, at least in Florida it's still possible. I think Texas is lost because Texas doesn't produce people like Jimmy Buffet.

[supernova]

4. Need a pic

of the box lot.

It's really hard to believe you could sell a box of stuff, some of which are skulls, and NOT know what you've got. edit: Ditto the person who bought them. :wtf:

Also, were these artifacts of some sort? The article says they didn't die recently.

Too many questions.

[Maddy McCall]

5. According to NAGPRA--Native American Grave Protection and

Repatriation Act, those skulls should be returned to the tribe from whose region those skulls were taken, if they are American Indian skulls.

Selling any kind of indian remains or sacred items is a huge offense, punishable by felony imprisonment and large fines. Even if a person was not the one who unearthed the skulls, but was involved in the trasport or trade of the skulls, the punishment applies.

Wonder how the government of FLA will hold itself accountable if indeed these are AI skulls.

It's easy to tell if they are Indian skulls, because the incisors would be shovel-shaped.

If the associated items were clay, as the article claims, then it would not be difficult at all to discover which tribal authority has rights to the items.

[MadisonRush]

10. Hi Jchild

I was wondering if you could identify the rest of the people in your picture. My friend has the same picture in her house and we were trying to figure out which chief was which. I'm sure we got them all wrong. I know one is Sitting Bull and I think another is Geronimo. Are we totally wrong?

[Maddy McCall]

14. Here ya go, from left to right

Chief Joseph (Nez Perce Chief), Sitting Bull (Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux Chief), Geronimo (Apache shaman, warrior), and Red Cloud (Oglala Sioux Chief).

[kimchi]

12. A lot of people with a small amount of Native blood have shovel-shaped

incisors, myself included. I'm only 1.5/8 ths Cherokee.

Most asians have the trait, as well as, believe it or not, some Swedes. The physical anthropologists who looked at the skulls could make the determination usually based on the entire skull, though.

[Maddy McCall]

15. Yes, but shovel-shaped incisors is always the first indicator that the

skull deserves further investigation, especially if the associated goods are of clay construction.

[bobthedrummer]

6. Shouldn't the Bush family return Geronimo's skull to his ancestors?

Or someone at Skull and Bones?

[ignatius]

7. Remember the scandal involving the Bush friend and his

funeral homes where skeletons were found all over the place after they exumed bvodies and REUSED the burial plot?

[bobthedrummer]

11. That would be the SCI Corporation,

right?

Gruesome, what they do for profits.

[slackmaster]

8. Do they have a sample of Jimmy Hoffa's DNA somewhere?

America wants to know.