A housing developer paved over a historic burial ground and village with the consent of the
Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria in California.
Hundreds of ancestors and thousands of artifacts were uncovered at a multi-million dollar housing project. All of the remains and items were excavated, removed and reburied at a different location at the site and then graded over, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Archaeologists say the items should have been studied. The village reportedly dates back 4,500 years and could have provided insights into Coast Miwok culture at the time.
But Chairman Greg Sarris defended the tribe's handling of the matter. He said the remains and artifacts were reburied because they belong in the ground.
"Let us worry about our own preservation," Sarris told the paper. "If we determine that they are sacred objects, we will rebury them because in our tradition many of those artifacts, be they beads, charm stones or whatever, go with the person who died."
Sarris said tribal ancestors and their property were typically cremated when they died. So the presence of bones indicates murder or secret cult activity, he said.
"If you found a skeleton, that either meant the person was murdered or the cult members took care of the body," Sarris told The Marin Independent Journal. "These charm stones used by cult members and medicine people — we don't want to touch them. If they're not exposed, let them be paved over."
Get the Story:
Indian artifact treasure trove paved over for Marin County homes
(The San Francisco Chronicle 4/23)
Graton Rancheria leaders: Found remains, artifacts at Larkspur site a tribal matter
(The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat 4/23)
Archaeologists lament loss of Indian artifacts at Larkspur development
(The Marin Independent Journal 4/24)
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