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They Dug Up Their Graves And Built A Cage With Their Bones
20th Century archaeologists, anthropologists, and grave robbery
When I was young, I wanted to be an archaeologist. Today, I’m glad I didn’t make that choice because I know I couldn’t have successfully stood up to the conglomeration of grave-robbers, data-falsifiers, and backstabbers that seem to make up 20th century anthropology and archaeology.
One of my first jobs was as “the intern” at the San Bernardino County Museum. One of my job responsibilities was cleaning and maintaining the figure of Louis Leakey, the world-famous expert in early human origins. Dr. Leakey had worked with Ruth “Dee” Simpson, the museum’s archaeologist, in excavating the Calico Early Man site in the Mojave Desert. Much like my mother’s situation as an early animation artist, I can find hundreds, if not thousands, of articles discussing Louis Leakey’s role at the Calico site, and … one … about “Dee” (see end of this article). Some woman wrote it. Her name might be Amy Sterling Casil.
Dee was widely mocked and vilified for her theories that early man could possibly have lived 100,000 to 200,000 years ago in what is today, one of the world’s harshest desert environments. She and Dr. Leakey had unearthed artifacts that they said were stone tools.
