Something that has always bothered me is what is line between archaeology and grave robbing? Whose burial rituals do we respect and whose do we get to regard as a source of information about ancient history?
I'm always amused when I see things like "this pyramid was cleaned out by tomb robbers long ago". How do we know they're not cleared out by archeologists? The Pyramid of Giza was already thousands of years old before the New Kingdom (which is still technically Ancient Egypt).
The Robbers' Tunnel in the Great Pyramid sounded well like a state funded archeological dig. Just that back in the day, humans didn't take care to not damage historical artifacts.
Plenty of actual thieves just keep the artifacts for themselves, without damaging anything. British museums get a lot of hate for taking home artifacts from other countries.
An old caliphate might be the equivalent of the UK today, a seemingly invincible power, but after a few hundred years, it collapses and its treasures are looted by some other victor.
Maybe another example might be something like the True Cross or other religious relics. They may not be damaged, but it ain't archeology.
Just as a professional follow-on to the joke, a lot of the places I've worked defined it between 50-100 years. Archeologists also have obligations to publish their findings, follow ethics guidelines, work with landowner/government/descendent approval, and attempt to avoid unnecessary excavations entirely.
Only 250 years? I can trace back my ancestors to the 1500s, and I know where they are buried. I have books of stories of many of them. They are real people to me. I’d hate to think of them being dug up to date someone’s curiosity. They are my family.
The Robbers' Tunnel in the Great Pyramid sounded well like a state funded archeological dig. Just that back in the day, humans didn't take care to not damage historical artifacts.