Scientists to save 5,000-year-old embrace

[superconnected]

VALDARO, Italy (Reuters) - Italy won't split up its Stone Age "lovers."

In a Valentine's Day gift to the country, scientists said they are determined to remove and preserve together the remains of a couple buried 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, their arms still wrapped around each other in an enduring embrace.

Instead of removing the bones one-by-one for reassembly later, archaeologists plan to scoop up the entire section of earth where the couple was buried, they told Reuters.

The plot will then be transported for study before being put on display in an Italian museum, thereby preserving the world's longest known hug for posterity.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070212/sc_nm/archaeology_italy_embrace_new_dc


Now remember, this keeps hitting the front of yahoo news because it's a great archeological find, NOT because it's trying to get you guys into the valentines day spirit to go buy cards, roses and chocolates.

If you think about it, if dead bones of lovers represent Valentines day 2007, it's pretty morbid...

[truthisfreedom]

1. Ooh, that reminds me!

Gotta get chocolates!

[Benhurst]

2. I read one scientist thinks the woman was ritualisticly murdered

to be buried with her husband.

If so, that takes the romantic edge a tad off the embrace as far as I am concerned.

:hurts:

[pitohui]

10. that is the first thing that sprang into my mind

it wouldn't be the first time a woman was killed and buried with her hubby for "use" in the next world

not too frigging romantic if you ask me! not that anybody did!

[Diode]

11. Very Curious

Do you have a link to what you read ?

I'd love to look into it.

[Thor_MN]

3. I'm assuming the statute of limitations has expired

Do we really need to go all CSI on this one?

[BushOut06]

4. For a second, I thought you were talking about THIS embrace

[Bruce McAuley]

5. So what if they're both male or female...?

Will they keep them in an Italian museum if they're a gay couple?
Just wondering here.
:hi:

Bruce

[booksenkatz]

7. Well, if they're both male or both female...

then clearly, they were father/son or mother/daughter... because anything else makes baby Jesus cry.
;-)

[mcscajun]

6. That's good news. It would have been a shame to split them up.

First, because 5,000 years hadn't done so, and second, so that they can one day be displayed just like that. What an incredible find.

[bmbmd]

8. Morbid? I think not.

I always get a bone for Valentine"s Day.

[Rene]

9. I think they should film and take pictures and then rebury them. Leave them as they were for those

thousands of years.....away from prying eyes. It was wonderful to view --- now leave them alone.