Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist, journal editor, public speaker, skeptic, atheist, lefty liberal, bookworm, and father of two.
Here's a piece of news that hit uncomfortably close to home. A grave digger in Eslöv, southern Sweden, fell victim to a work-place accident yesterday. While the man was in the trench, the grave-side spoil dump collapsed onto him, killing him instantly. I am only somewhat reassured by the fact that this was the kind of grave digger who buries people, not my kind who excavates them again.
In other news. Mauretania has abolished slavery. Keep up the good work, guys! Let's see now, it's 1807, right? 1907? Huh?
Comments
That's the kind of story that has seriously weird conceptual angle. Imagine explaining it to an alien who didn't really understand the idea of putting our dead in holes in the ground. A man whose job is to bury dead people inadvertently commits suicide by burying himself in one of his graves. Another grave digger is going to have to dig him up, because he's in someone else's grave, and then dig a new grave to bury him. It would all seem rather circular and pointless.
Posted by: John McKay | August 11, 2007 4:27 PM
The misfortune that befell was earth that fell. Y'all got a cool language, thanks for the lesson. Hope you didn't know the fellow. Does everybody there know everybody else?
yeah, I was thinking something along the same lines as McKay. Some unlucky person got to be planted in a used hole. I hope pedology and geo-arch, but there have been times I have refused to go in trenches, and times I went in some I probably shouldn't have. What the hell is a hardhat supposed to do for you under 3 tons of earth?
Posted by: Mary | August 11, 2007 5:19 PM
Mauritias: Not abolished actually, that's been on the books a while. Just threats of fine or jail.
Posted by: mary | August 11, 2007 6:36 PM
John: very true! The aliens would probably wonder why we don't just eat them.
Mary: I didn't know the guy. Sweden has 9 million citizens and the accident happened 570 km from my home town.
Posted by: Martin R | August 12, 2007 1:58 AM
Swedish archaeologist Wilhelm Ekman died on his post. Back in 1915, he was excavating the gånggrift Lunden on Orust, when one of the slabs came into motion, causing a megalith death. One wonders if he died a happy man.
Posted by: Marcus Gustafsson | September 1, 2007 2:44 PM