Grisly find raises questions

WHILE the exact origin and age of the human remains that were uncovered in West End on Heritage Day remain unclear, the discovery has raised questions over whether all the relevant legislation to mine in the area has been met.

The site where the skeletal remains were found on the corner of Waterloo Road and Fuller Street is not part of a known historical burial ground.

This is according to Head of Archaeology at the McGregor Museum, Professor David Morris, who said yesterday that he was waiting for police to rule out any recent foul play before further archaeological and anthropological evaluations could continue.

After visiting the site yesterday, Morris said that the skeletal remains had been removed in order for further investigation to be conducted by the state pathologist. He added that little could be deduced about the remains at this stage.

“The skeletal remains could be of the order of a century old,” Morris said. “They appear to derive from the base of a layer of mining ‘floors’ debris and below a level at which foundations of houses occur.”

According to Morris, police pathologists first needed to conclude their evaluation of the remains before the South African Heritage Resource Authority (Sahra) could conduct further investigations of their own.

“If recent foul play is ruled out, while the remains are concluded to be over 60 years old and from outside of a formal burial ground, then it becomes a matter to be managed by Sahra.”

“Further investigation by archaeological and physical anthropological specialists would then be required.”

He added that while similar discoveries were made from timeto-time in older cities, it was unusual for an isolated burial to be unearthed in Kimberley’s urban setting.

“It is not clear if the artisanal miners, or those facilitating their work, have complied with heritage legislation with regard to impact assessments. It is interesting that they are digging amongst the remains of old house foundations.”