Human bone or not.

[relichunting]

i just hope that you've recorded the saxon finds on the national databases!

I did not realise there was a saxon finds national database 

are you thinking of the UKDFA

All are finds are reported to the local FLO every few months,we give her so much she usually only takes the bits that interest her for example musket balls 

[avalon]

I hate to throw a spanner in the works, but I had problems with recording with  UKDFD someone on admin at one time just happened to have access to find spots. He  was like a kid in a sweet shop with that information. Caused a lot of problems around the Ross on Wye area, so I just wonder who you can trust nowadays.I now record my information on my own data base, but it won't be released until 2020.

[relichunting]

That's the problem you just do not know who to trust. 

Recording your own information on your own personal data base,now that's an excellent idea

As you say you could then release the information in say 10 years time.

[keepmateethinajar]

well I think its a KFC box that's been hidden....if you look the bone to the right is a drumstick...?

[archie]

Good Q &A everybody. But was'nt the original question about the identification of the bones?  Irrespective of any other finds on the site, saxon or bloody umpalumpa, the onus is on the finder to get the bones id' as human or not. everything else is really up to the individual. although I do think that the attitude of 'any finds that I find are mine and nobody elses' plays into the hands of the anti detecting league

[relichunting]

I am sure that most people are happy to report treasure items and in a lot of cases they never see them again,oh yes they then get a paultry reward  


Chef stated

As Rob has suggested Paul, your best bet would be to show it to an FLO, though they would probably need to show it to an "expert" as bones are notoriously difficult to id without specialised training

Wronly advised that the finder should pass these bones to his local FLO  


As this is Chefs favourite quote to me i think he needs to have it said to him

a clear case of "a little knowledge is dangerous Chef


If you suspect you have found human remains you report it straight to the police


Finding Human Remains

It is not unusual to find human bones eroding out of sand dunes and on beaches. While
it can sometimes be difficult to tell some human skeletal parts apart from animal bones it
is important to report your discovery, if you think you may have found human remains.
This is a legal requirement,in order to establish whether the human remains are
archaeological, or in fact part of a modern crime scene.
It is far more likely that the remains you find belong to a dead animal, rather than a
human. The most obvious human bones are the skull, the long bones and the pelvis.
Figure 1 shows the bones of the human body. Compare what you have found to the
diagram. To get an idea of how large the long bones of a human are, think of the size of
your own bones. In general, a sheep has much shorter long bones, and a cow much
thicker ones. Because you shouldn’t disturb a human burial, a photograph can again be
very helpful.
If you think you have found a human
skeleton, the first thing to do is to contact
your local police station who will visit the
site and make a report.It is important that
you leave the bones where you found
them and that you do not disturb the site.
Once you have contacted your local police
station you do not need to do anything
else. If the Police take no further action the
case passes Historic England, who may
send a team of archaeologists to examine
the site.

[Mike]

an easy way to understand bones 

The Skeleton Dance

[Dryland]

I've got an arthritic thumb bone 

[joross]

It is a interesting topic,if someone did find a huge hoard of gold coins would it be better to tell the world and become famous as a great treasure hunter or keep it to them selves and sit on it like gollum aka smegal??? Or sell them on ebay haha Maybe people may get worried the arcees may take there glory and steal the fame or as a earlier message stated that they will probably be locked in a room somewhere,the fact is not every find is recorded because why should it be??is it really worth the hassle ?? Do arcees really solve the riddle to where it came from What's the difference between a metal detectorist researching an area getting permission and digging to a archee finding a site shutting it down as a site of scientific interest I find a lot of archees rude towards the run of the mill detectorist...surely we are the same thing I think if I found a great amazing site I'd have to think about it for a long time before I let anyone else in just like farmers who know there are Celtic/roman buildings on there land to potentially lose that land It's a hard topic I think we should all get along  I feel that if you think you've found something of importance then it should be recorded if you don't feel like its a huge find then it shouldn't matter if its not recorded but that's just my view

[Val Beechey]

What I'd like to know is,     Where is CelticSpikey ?  Just look what he's started and now he's disapeared, ducked for cover, left the Country. Is he with Nobby ??

We seek him here, we seek him there. Come on spikey, dont be shy.

By the way, I've changed my mind. I think they're animal.

Val

[Chef Geoff]

Well Shaun I'm afraid it's coming back to you lol
Now bearing in mind that I'm ex-military police and we have to know the law of the realm in the same way as our civi counterparts and the workings of them, I can assure you that unless you find a pelvis, skull or clavicle then the police will ask you if you have shown it to an archaeologist, if you say no then they will advice you to call the county archi and if it is human then they will be called by him/her and will come back.
It may not be the letter of the law but that's the way it is.

[relichunting]

Oh dear oh dear Geoff are you any good at chess i would love a game some day

I hate been wrong mate, so will argue to the cows come home  

If you think you may have found human remains This is a legal requirement,in order to establish whether the human remains are archaeological, or in fact part of a modern crime scene.

So

You do not remove them and take them to your local FLO as you and others have advised

By removing them potentially criminal evidence has been disturbed.

If you think you have found a human skeleton, the first thing to do is to contact your local police station who will visit the site and make a report.

It is important that you leave the bones where you found them and that you do not disturb the site.

They could be human remains that are part of a modern crime scene, so serious business really,so members should be advised the correct procedure.

by contacting the police you have followed the letter of the law

It is then the police responsibility to call out an expert or county archaeologist to identify the bones not yours

We are not responsible to do the police work for them

RJM  may have some advise on this subject ?

[Chef Geoff]

OK which part of common sense don't you get?
The clue is "if you think you have found human remains".....Now if we knew we had found human remains we wouldn't need to show them to the FLO would we? I'll help you on this one, the answers no.
But we don't know what the bones are do we? and that's why we show them to the FLO. See simple isn't it lol

[relichunting]

Geoff states

But we don't know what the bones are do we? and that's why we show them to the FLO. See simple isn't it

Exactly so they could be human and you report them to the police which you are required to do by law,you certainly do not remove them  

Most normal people who go out detecting could not tell the diffrence between a human bone or an animal bone this thread is a good example.

Common sense tells you to report it to the police as you are required to do by law

For gods sake it could be the remains of a murder victim for all you know

Members need to know the correct procedure on what to do if they find what could be human bones

If they are unsure if the bones are human or animal they still need to report it to the police

I have given the correct information and thats my last word on the subject    

[mrsmarky123]

i was always aware that if you come across what you think could be human bones then you have to inform the police firstly  ......thankfully i havnt come across any lol