UPDATE:
Charlie Petit at Science Journalism Tracker has a very complimentary overview of the special package discussed below.
Twenty years ago, landmark legislation passed by the U.S. Congress revolutionized the field of archaeology in America. That much everyone can agree on. But some anthropologists insist that the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) has allowed religion to trump science. Other anthropologists argue just as strongly that
Today, Science magazine publishes a special section that examines NAGPRA's impact to archaeology. The effects are considerable--for better and worse. I'm one of the three contributors to the special section. As I was reporting the various stories, I felt as if I was navigating an intellectual and ethical minefield. The issues raised in the stories are as complex as they get when a branch of science must be reconciled with an ugly historical legacy. Things get even more complicated when you consider ...
