IanM Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>

> You seem to be loosing your scientific
> objectivity
> and developing an emotional attachment to a
> culture
> that has been dead and gone for approx 4000
> years.

First, the reason for my wanting to respect people or a culture is really immaterial to the discussion of whether or not we should respect people or a culture.

Secondly, this culture has not been dead and gone for 4000 years. This was, quite probably, the longest surviving culture in all of human history, with a virtually uninterrupted set of beliefs, customs and social structure, extending from 4000 BCE to approximately 300 ACE. In fact, there are still bits and pieces of this culture surviving in villages and outposts today.

I do not understand, however, why that would make any difference to whether or not we should respect the people and their culture in the future.





>
> Are you getting soft in your old age?
> Developing some sympathy for the New Age POV?


I see no reason for personal insults. I am not THAT old, nor do I have a "New Age POV". Your attempts to belittle the concept of "respect" is noted, though.



>
> These explorations show no disrespect - only a
> desire
> get at the truth.


Whose "truth"? There's probably a 99.99% chance that there's nothing behind these stones but core masonry. This is about fact. And the fact is, these slabs are artifacts left to us by the pyramid builders. Destroying one artifact in the HOPE that we will find another one is simply an unsupportable trade off, given the current state of Egyptological theory regarding the specific artifacts in question (i.e., there's no cultural context that supports the contention that there's something behind the plugstones).


> Any evidence we can get to
> discredit
> the New Agers is worth the effort.

Destroying the pyramid, or any part of it, hardly seems appropriate. It appears, Ian, that you are letting THEM drive the agenda about what is excavated, when it is excavated, and how it is excavated. If you have so much disrespect for the "New Agers", why do you grant them so much control over the artifacts within the pyramid?




> Do you suggest that we trade supposed disrespect
> for the truth?

From what I can see, that is actually the position you are advocating. Your disrespect for New Agers is driving you to advocate the destruction of the pyramid just to prove them wrong.

That is a position I cannot and will not support. My anthropological and archaeological training simply won't allow for that kind of subjective, emotional responses.

Anthony

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him think.