Hush-hush archaeology

Summary

March 17, 2009: After the United States Department of Homeland Security gave permission to build a new border fence between the United States and Mexico which would have resulted in the destruction of a number of archeologist sites of Native American tribes (such as the Kumeyaay) in Southern California), archaeologists were able to obtain permission from the United States Army Corps of Engineers to excavate and examine these sites before the fence was built. The condition was apparently that they would have to do so in complete secrecy.

See Also

• Adventurer Archaeologist

Source

Bibliography

1. Original article

2. Arcana Wiki Map entry

Game and Story Use

• Perhaps the archaeologists and the Corps had prior knowledge of a powerful artifact - perhaps an Artifact of Death or Artifact of Doom buried at the site, which needed to be removed or destroyed before the fence was built.
• It's also possible that the DHS suspected that the whole archaeology aspect was a form of lawfare designed to frustrate the consturction process and that the dig sites would miraculously "discover" priceless antiquities which would make it quite impossible for the fence to be built.
  • "Discovering" an endangered/protected species on a proposed construction site is another common lawfare tactic, often only requiring a suitably corrupt academic who is prepared to say that they have seen evidence of the species being in residence.
  • In the right environment, PCs could use these sort of tactics to impede an opponent who is vulnerable to lawfare. Even if it cannot stop the project outright, it can delay it and/or make it far more expensive than it needs to be.
  • Conversely, PCs could be called in to deal discretely with a group of legal saboteurs who are holding up a vital infrastructure program (say, irrigation or power supply to a remote community or the upgrading or a road).