Sacred Fossils

From
Date
Erik Pauls wrote

>A couple of years ago I asked the dinosaur-list (before it became a
>newsgroup) for experiences involving either Native American cosmology and
>mythology regarding fossils, or digs with concerns about sacred sites. I
>received only a couple messages, both reporting no problems and no other
>information. I found this silence mildly surprising because this was the
>same time that Sue, the T. rex, (or did they name it after the D.A.?) was
>in the news.

I've actually had lots of responses to my query about sacred fossils.
However, almost all have come in to me personally and not been routed
through PaleoNet. Although I can't speak for all the respondents I do know
that at least some replied offline because they wanted to help provide me
with the information I sought, but were concerned that relating of myths,
historical anecdotes, and describing belief systems over a public
listserver like PaleoNet would provide information to those who would
ridicule or otherwise misuse it. Given the history (both ancient and
recent) of relations between native peoples and western culture, I can well
understand their fears. Perhaps this fear was also the reason behind Erik's
experience. I think that I might have (quite inadvertently) turned over a
rock that has much more under it than I ever expected. Suffice it to say
that fossils appear to have been (and still are) very important in the
cultures of many (if not most) native peoples.

Please keep the responses on this subject coming in. It's fascinating.


Norm MacLeod



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norman MacLeod
Micropalaeontological Research
N.MacLeod@nhm.ac.uk (Internet)
N.MacLeod@uk.ac.nhm (Janet)

Address: Dept. of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum,
         Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD

Office Phone: 0171-938-9006
Dept. FAX:  0171-938-9277
----------------------------------------------------------------------------