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BHP should offer scientific and technical support, as well as time, to study the sites before they are destructed. If this is done seriously, the cultural herit
by henearkr 6y ago
BHP should offer scientific and technical support, as well as time, to study the sites before they are destructed. If this is done seriously, the cultural heritage could actually be augmented, by the knowledge, even after the physical destruction of the sites.
- prawn 6y agoNot sure if you read the article, but it mentions BHP offering 3D scanning, drone imagery, etc to capture digital versions of each location for archive. Any loose, physical items would be removed to their staff encampment and then a museum.
- henearkr 6y agoI was thinking about even deeper investigation, like DNA sampling, other chemical analyses in particular in the ground near or inside the sites. Most often, the real value of having historical sites around is that even decades later there can be complementary investigations that were not thought of in the first place.
- prawn 6y agoI have no expertise in this area, but my guess is that there would be millions of sites like this across Australia. Australia is absolutely massive and the indigenous population has an epic 40-80k years of history here. If you wanted to preserve everything just in case, no one could move a foot. I suspect they have preserved the key sites with the best scientific opportunities or main cultural importance, and that these are much more run of the mill. That said, mining companies make buckets of money and I have no issue with tipping the scales a bit against their convenience and profitability for something like this.
- henearkr 6y agoYes, it seems like 3D scans and drones are a bit cheap solutions, that would satisfy or impress some non-expert. If they do it on a handful of sites, chemical analysis would be a true way to show their commitment.
- ars 6y agoAccording to the article they did, and are, offering that.