3 ms·

What are the alternatives? As soon as these tombs found you can either open them now or set up 24/7 security around. The latter will be difficult to justify eco

by viach 6y ago

What are the alternatives? As soon as these tombs found you can either open them now or set up 24/7 security around. The latter will be difficult to justify economically.

liability 6y ago
"Somebody will loot it, so it may as well be us"? If that's the best we can do, maybe we should stop looking for them in the first place. Let the corpses lay in peace, our modern approach to this lacks dignity.
- unlaxedneurotic 6y ago
  I think the issue is that someone somewhere is always going to look for it. Robbers have been there for centuries. If they find it first, it's going to end up in the black market. I'm not saying whether its right or wrong. It is just how it is.
- moron4hire 6y ago
  I'm sure they keep records to return the property, should the next of kin come forward to claim it...
- ALittleLight 6y ago
  It's not really looting it if everything is recorded, carefully studied, and what's learned is made available to the public via museums. Looting would be something smashing in the door to run in and grab a handful of artifacts and or a mummy body part and selling it to a private buyer. Big difference. Maybe it lacks dignity in that it's not what the ancient Egyptians would've preferred for us to do with their remains - but I think it's fair to set some statute of limitations on that kind of thing.
forgot_account 6y ago
Triple-strand concertina wire isn't that expensive, put that around the perimeter with a single entry control point. Two guards on shift, 4 hours on/8 hours off, twice per day = 4 bodies. Double that to cut the days worked down to 3-5 per week with some flex capacity, keep people well-rested and alert. A quick search indicates an Egyptian military sergeant earns roughly $220/month, so 8 guys @$250 month = $2000 in wages monthly, and a pretty small outlay for equipment (the concertina wire, some rifles, flashlights, comm gear- radios/cellphones, maybe a tablet to verify access rosters).....Even hooking up some perimeter sensors to a computer workstation and generator power wouldn't be more than a low 5-figure investment. Basic physical security should not be an unreasonable cost burden when there is so much national economic and social interest in preserving Egyptian history.
- csunbird 6y ago
  A security guard being paid $250 per month will happily give access to anyone offering $5000 to rob the tomb.
  - forgot_account 6y ago
    A fair point on the ease of corrupting private contractors. If anything that suggests the National government should provide security, and bank on the cultural pride/integrity/professionalism of the military to serve as a bullwark (for whatever that is worth). Secondary control measures to reduce corruption risk complicates things but still should explode the budget into the millions or anything.

by viach 6y ago

What are the alternatives? As soon as these tombs found you can either open them now or set up 24/7 security around. The latter will be difficult to justify economically.

liability 6y ago

"Somebody will loot it, so it may as well be us"? If that's the best we can do, maybe we should stop looking for them in the first place. Let the corpses lay in peace, our modern approach to this lacks dignity.

unlaxedneurotic 6y ago
I think the issue is that someone somewhere is always going to look for it. Robbers have been there for centuries. If they find it first, it's going to end up in the black market. I'm not saying whether its right or wrong. It is just how it is.
moron4hire 6y ago
I'm sure they keep records to return the property, should the next of kin come forward to claim it...
ALittleLight 6y ago
It's not really looting it if everything is recorded, carefully studied, and what's learned is made available to the public via museums. Looting would be something smashing in the door to run in and grab a handful of artifacts and or a mummy body part and selling it to a private buyer. Big difference. Maybe it lacks dignity in that it's not what the ancient Egyptians would've preferred for us to do with their remains - but I think it's fair to set some statute of limitations on that kind of thing.

forgot_account 6y ago

Triple-strand concertina wire isn't that expensive, put that around the perimeter with a single entry control point. Two guards on shift, 4 hours on/8 hours off, twice per day = 4 bodies. Double that to cut the days worked down to 3-5 per week with some flex capacity, keep people well-rested and alert. A quick search indicates an Egyptian military sergeant earns roughly $220/month, so 8 guys @$250 month = $2000 in wages monthly, and a pretty small outlay for equipment (the concertina wire, some rifles, flashlights, comm gear- radios/cellphones, maybe a tablet to verify access rosters).....Even hooking up some perimeter sensors to a computer workstation and generator power wouldn't be more than a low 5-figure investment. Basic physical security should not be an unreasonable cost burden when there is so much national economic and social interest in preserving Egyptian history.

csunbird 6y ago
A security guard being paid $250 per month will happily give access to anyone offering $5000 to rob the tomb.
- forgot_account 6y ago
  A fair point on the ease of corrupting private contractors. If anything that suggests the National government should provide security, and bank on the cultural pride/integrity/professionalism of the military to serve as a bullwark (for whatever that is worth). Secondary control measures to reduce corruption risk complicates things but still should explode the budget into the millions or anything.