| SUBMITTED: Stardate 96572.4 | FILED BY: CAPT S. Bishop | SECURITY: Level 1 - Open |
NARRATIVE: After the away team beamed down and received the preliminary information outlined in the above report, this office led Commander Hlolsh and Lieutenant Aev to the dig site. It was quickly identified that the excavators were using a modified baridium charge to blow away the ancient city of Eradaz to get to the treasure of King Eradan. The excavation had been going on for roughly a month, and the excavators had destroyed around 80% of the city through the charges.
The workers of excavation were in very poor shape; many had lung issues and illness due to a lack of protective equipment when excavating. They were being paid a very modest salary for their work, and it is this officer's suspicion that many were left to die instead of treatment provided for in an attempt at cost-cutting. This officer quickly stopped the excavation for a brief period, allowing for the thirty or so workers to be beamed to the U.S.S. Pegasus for treatment. We then theorised of methods of covertly extracting the treasure and bringing it to the surface in an attempt to end the excavation before more damage was done, but none of these methods would have worked in the time we had remaining. We returned back to the base camp where Captain Nimitz was coordinating an assault on the SAS base.
I briefed Captain Nimitz on the excavation and asked that we arrest Doctor Loric Qotar for willful destruction of archaeological sites. Captain Nimitz agreed and following the assault, the arrest was made.
RECOMMENDATION: Doctor Qotar is well known amongst archaeological circles, having been the publisher of several papers in academic journals. However, his excavations are less academic and more treasure hunts, being bankrolled by wealthy patrons for interesting and valuable tidbits. As such, his methods often result in many valuable archaeological sites being destroyed for minor items of interest, which, ironically, would have been worth more had he kept the context in which they had been excavated in. Not only has the Doctor been involved in destroying the ancient city of Eradaz, but he has also been complicit in what essentially amounts to slave labour, with his workers suffering low pay, poor healthcare and safety, and harsh disciplinary measures.
This officer was able to gather records on the excavation. Intelligence should pursue the money trail left behind and find out who bankrolled the Doctor, in an attempt to stop the continued destruction of archaeological sites, and the inevitable black-market trading of archaeological goods that such an operation leaves behind.
This officer also recommends that the Federation Archaeology Council send a team to Poltofor II to finish the excavation of the city and salvage it as best they can. Records from Doctor Qotar's excavation should be published to assist this aim. It is vital that the council acts quickly to preserve what remains of the city, and this should serve as a reminder to all interested in historical and archaeological remains about the dangers of improper archaeological excavation practices.
OOC: This is Sam's AAR for the event "Schlimmin' It". Event log available on request.
Spoiler: Sam in his head:Show
