The mayor of Sillame, Tunis Kalberg, approached the government with a request for a return of 92,040 euros for archaeological excavations carried out in the city, which exposed a total of 118 skeletons.
Kalberg states in his letter to the Prime Minister of the City of Jeri Ratas (Centre) and the Minister of Culture, Tuni Lukas (Isamaa), stating that the city has carried out excavations in the state directive and because the main street can be simply closed for an indeterminate time.
A total of 118 skeletons were discovered, each excavation cost 780 euros, for a total of 92,040 euros. Because the city doesn’t have those budgets and doesn’t moderate to make budget adjustments on this scale, it hopes to get the government’s digs reimbursed.
Kalberg wrote: “Sillame lacks investment to conduct canopy archaeological studies and it is unreasonable for the city to replace its budget to cover costs.”
The head of public relations of the Ministry of Culture, Meelis Kompus, has not yet said whether such a refund can be allocated to the city.
The Sillame city government has also addressed the National Heritage Council (Muinsuskaitseamet), but the latter lacks the legal basis and resources to grant such compensation.
Human remnants were discovered in the reconstruction of Sillame’s main street. According to archaeologist Martin Malve, the site can simply be an old fashion graveyard.
Malve said: “The bones were excavated during the structure of the culture space. Fuel pipes and central heating were built here, meaning the bones have been here and the locals have been aware of those skeletons all along. Based on the past field experiments, it can be said that locals know it, but assignment designers, municipal authorities, archaeologists and historians do not know it.”
The effects of Sillame will be sent to the University of Tartu for research.
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Alates 02.04.2020 kuvab ERR kommenteerija teisnime.
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