An avocational group?  What type of site were you all working with?  Was it
an established and legitimate archeological site?  How are the items,
objects being retrieved?  At first glance, not knowing anything else about
what, where, when, or why, I am suspicious.  Nor does this seem ethical to
me.  Perhaps you should provide additional infomation.

Arlyn Danielson

----------
From:   Aqualieb[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Monday, November 24, 1997 11:51 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Ethical Question

An avocational group that I am treasurer of has concluded an archaeological
and
historical investigation of one of the sites we have been involved with
recently.

At the site, we recovered a clump of material that contained about a
hundred
buttons.  Our newly forming museum needs only a few dozen and a few
thousand
more buttons remain on board.  We are not interested in recovering any more
than what we already have.

I could return the buttons to the wrecksite, but we are talking about a
only
few dozen buttons; they fit in the palm of your hand.  We are a non-profit
group involved in fund-raising for our museum and would like to sell off
the
remaining buttons to area museums and other interested buyers.  I don't
know if
museums that have over-burdened inventories do the same or not.  I would
like
to sell these buttons to benefit our museum project, which in itself is a
cultural boon to the community.  Is this ethically correct?

Please post responses, viewpoints and opinions here.  Please, do not e-mail
me
directly.

Thank you,
Aqualieb