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Opening Hermetically Sealed Tombs


Zelnaga

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Hello people I need your advice here,

While digging for the construction of a hotel my Archaeology friends came across some graves who were hermetically sealed. When the expedition opened one of the graves EVERYTHING - bones, weapons, armor, clothes - everything started turning into dust before their very eyes.
What can we do now? It is not right to just destroy the graves ; that would be an insult to the memory of the dead. Is there a way to prepare the contents of the graves for exposure to air again? We have never seen anything like this and the graves are probably very old for this to happen.

Thanks in advance!

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14 minutes ago, Zelnaga said:

Hello people I need your advice here,

While digging for the construction of a hotel my Archaeology friends came across some graves who were hermetically sealed. When the expedition opened one of the graves EVERYTHING - bones, weapons, armor, clothes - everything started turning into dust before their very eyes.
What can we do now? It is not right to just destroy the graves ; that would be an insult to the memory of the dead. Is there a way to prepare the contents of the graves for exposure to air again? We have never seen anything like this and the graves are probably very old for this to happen.

Thanks in advance!

What kind of archaeologists are they????  :blink:  and how were they sealed? Were they coffins or vaults? 

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They said it was a solid one-piece stone cut into grave form, and on top was another single-piece stone plate with molten moledbium between the two stones for air gaps. Basically a stone "box" with molebdium...

I think the phenomenon happens because of oxygen getting reintroduced very quickly into very dry materials -bones, metal and wood- . The internet has very few information on what to do ; basically I see introducing hot moisture (steam) slowly into the contents seems to solve the problem, just looking for helpful advice.

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10 minutes ago, Zelnaga said:


I think the phenomenon happens because of oxygen getting reintroduced very quickly into very dry materials -bones, metal and wood-

 

Quote

. The internet has very few information on what to do ; basically I see introducing hot moisture (steam) slowly into the contents seems to solve the problem, just looking for helpful advice.

Glycerin does too. At least for wood. A old trick at the museum I advised for was when somebody found a partial dugout  canoe we would leave it wet then put it in a stock tank and fill the tank with old school green antifreeze. Although it wouldn't work for bone. 

I never heard of metal deteriorating from hitting air. It doesn't happen.

In dry environments bone, wood and even cloth is preserved so I actually think the graves were damp and dried out. i.e they waited too long.

Your description is actually confusing.

Edited by Piney
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3 minutes ago, Captain Risky said:

where are you from, mate.

The Pine Barrens. 

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I wish I was there so I could offer a more detailed explanation. But my friends were as confused as you are when it happened. Yes the bones were very old, they said "almost orange" in color. Thanks for the GLycerine hint!!

Im from Greece @Captain ^^

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13 minutes ago, Zelnaga said:

 molten moledbium between the two stones for air gaps. Basically a stone "box" with molebdium...

Are you sure it isn't lead? 

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Just now, Zelnaga said:

They said Molebdeum. What are the solutions for either?

p.s. thank you for taking the time in this so far! ^^

I have to know the environmental situation and everything else. Greeks are pretty good about archaeology.are you sure your buddies aren't looters who are posing as archaeologists? 

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You should contact actual archaeologists before doing anything further. Respectfully, If your friends need you to search the internet for possible solutions it doesn't sound like they are extremely knowledgeable about archaeology in your area and you need to contact someone who is. You can easily ruin a site through improper for the area excavation techniques. Depending on where you live you might even be required by law to report it also.

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3 minutes ago, justin3651 said:

You should contact actual archaeologists before doing anything further. Respectfully, If your friends need you to search the internet for possible solutions it doesn't sound like they are extremely knowledgeable about archaeology in your area and you need to contact someone who is. You can easily ruin a site through improper for the area excavation techniques. Depending on where you live you might even be required by law to report it also.

Sounds to me like they're pot holers. Not archaeologists. 

Edited by Piney
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8 minutes ago, Zelnaga said:

I wish I was there so I could offer a more detailed explanation. But my friends were as confused as you are when it happened. Yes the bones were very old, they said "almost orange" in color. Thanks for the GLycerine hint!!

Im from Greece @Captain ^^

i imagine your archeological lfriends would need to move the coffins into a sealed environment to replicate the same conditions inside the coffin, before opening it. what period did they estimate the coffin to be from?

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7 minutes ago, Captain Risky said:

i imagine your archeological lfriends would need to move the coffins into a sealed environment to replicate the same conditions inside the coffin, before opening it. what period did they estimate the coffin to be from?

A archaeologist would send in a probe or if they were movable take them to a lab.  That's what has me. 

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27 minutes ago, Zelnaga said:


im from Greece @Captain ^^

love Greece. spent some time up north outside of Noussa, santorini and down south in Kalamata. rich history.

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Santorini is a nice place especially at sunset! And the hotels get even more crazy and luxurious each year!

Yes I'm sure. They don't "need" me to look up anything I already told you they know they need to introduce moisture slowly. I write this because what happened is the stuff you see in movies, and happened some hours ago so just expressing my amusement. Grave robbers don't usually go to hotel protected areas to dig, let alone post it up on forums hahaha.

Well moving even one of these graves would need a truck but it's not impossible. They are big graves...

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2 minutes ago, Zelnaga said:

Santorini is a nice place especially at sunset! And the hotels get even more crazy and luxurious each year!

Yes I'm sure. They don't "need" me to look up anything I already told you they know they need to introduce moisture slowly. I write this because what happened is the stuff you see in movies, and happened some hours ago so just expressing my amusement. Grave robbers don't usually go to hotal protected areas to dig, let alone post it up on forums hahaha.

Well moving even one of these graves would need a truck but it's not impossible. They are big graves...

i done a little reading on the subject are they sculptured sarcophagi or just plain stone? 

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1 minute ago, Zelnaga said:

Plain stone. Imagine stone boxes sealed airtight.. no signs no engraving on them no nothing, just stone.

Medieval or Roman Era? 

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No idea. But wouldn't they normally be way older than that in order to observe the erosion of even metal? 

For the record let's say Roman era...

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2 minutes ago, Zelnaga said:

No idea. But wouldn't they normally be way older than that in order to observe the erosion of even metal? 

For the record let's say Roman era...

pre christianity they buried in clay. so maybe Roman or Byzantine period. any markings at all? what type of weapons and armour? more importantly any photos?

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2 minutes ago, Zelnaga said:

No idea. But wouldn't they normally be way older than that in order to observe the erosion of even metal? 

If so even more reason you need to contact the authorities asap. Who knows what you might of found and it needs proper investigation and preservation. If I'm not mistaken Greek laws are pretty strict when it comes to findings of antiquities, what are you going to do with the objects if you can preserve them? They should be in a museum.

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9 minutes ago, Zelnaga said:

Plain stone. Imagine stone boxes sealed airtight.. no signs no engraving on them no nothing, just stone.

I know it's pretty weird :P

what type of stone? marble, limestone granite. 

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Ancient Greek weapons and armor. I think the armor was metal and the weapon grips wooden. They were warriors apparently.... very tall warriors!!

I guess it was regular stone. I don';t know which type. Why is that a factor Captain? Sorry no photos...

of course local authorities were called in. Everybody's probably sleeping now but we'll see what happens in the following days. They found them ON the hotel building site so of course the authorities need intervene before construction continues.

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8 minutes ago, Zelnaga said:

Ancient Greek weapons and armor. I think the armor was metal and the weapon grips wooden. They were warriors apparently.... very tall warriors!!

I guess it was regular stone. I don';t know which type. Why is that a factor Captain?

everything is a factor, mate. you have very few details to go by. what area of Greece did you find them?

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